Fréjus Short Film Festival

The Fréjus Short Film Festival: thirty years of passion for short films

Born in 1995 on the initiative of Alain Langlaude, Claude and Christian Seys, and Sabine Fabre — soon joined by Bruno Vermot-Gauchy — the Fréjus Short Film Festival is a unique event in the Var cultural landscape. For three decades, it has faithfully and enthusiastically celebrated short films in all their diversity, offering films under 30 minutes a precious showcase and an ever-present audience.

The founding idea was simple: to organize a single evening dedicated to short films, a cinematic form often overshadowed by feature films but an essential laboratory for emerging filmmakers. From this initial evening, a festival was born that now lasts a full week and offers an increasingly rich program.

A week of cinema in the heart of Fréjus

The festival takes place each year in late February or early March, occupying two complementary venues: the Cinéma Le Vox, a benchmark venue for official screenings, and the Théâtre Le Forum, which hosts special events and some competitions. Together, they offer a friendly and professional setting for a full week of cinema.

The program includes several dimensions:

• The Hermès Selection: official competition for fiction films, the heart of the festival
• The Animation Selection: competition dedicated to animated short films, all techniques combined
• Young Audience: specific screenings for children aged 3 and up, with adapted selections
• Ciné-club: themed evenings, retrospectives, and expanded programming
• Professional Meetings: round tables and discussions on cinema professions

A resolutely popular and free festival

One of the hallmarks of the Fréjus Short Film Festival is its commitment to being free. Almost all screenings and events are accessible free of charge, with mandatory reservation via billetweb to best organize public reception. This philosophy of accessibility is part of a deep conviction: cinema is an art that belongs to everyone.

The festival relies on a network of loyal local partners: the City of Fréjus, the Casino de Fréjus, the Academy of Nice, and Lycée Gallieni — whose students design the trophies awarded at the closing ceremony each year — local businesses, and numerous cultural associations. This collective mobilization demonstrates the festival's deep roots in Fréjus's cultural life.

The Hermès Selection: the official competition

The Hermès Selection is the festival's central competition. Each year, it brings together fiction short films in competition, judged by a jury of cinema professionals. The awards presented at the closing ceremony recognize the best films in several categories:

• Jury Prize
• Audience Award
• School Award
• Directing Award
• Screenwriting Award
• Acting Award

The 2025 edition saw “Mon Fils” by Romain and Thibault Laffargue named film of the year, scooping up no less than four awards including the Audience Award, the School Award, the Jury's Favorite Prize, and the Acting Award for Fejria Deliba. “Assoiffé” by Lisa Sallustio received the Directing Award, and “Temps attendu” by Eden Ducourant the Screenwriting Award.

The Animation Selection

The Animation Selection showcases animation in all its diversity: 2D, 3D, stop-motion, frame-by-frame, mixed techniques. A specialized jury, often composed of animation professionals, deliberates separately. In 2025, the School Award went to “Muscle masqué dans Pagaille Ferraille”, while “Nube” won both the Audience Award and the Professional Award, presented by Claire Pons.

Prestigious Patrons

Each edition is placed under the patronage of a cinema personality. For the 2026 edition, actor Kurt McKlung serves as patron, as part of a festival themed around the "Golden Age of Hollywood." Over the years, many personalities from the world of cinema have lent their prestige to the festival, contributing to its reputation and the attractiveness of its program.

A festive opening night

Each edition opens with a festive and original evening, combining live performance, cinema, and conviviality. In 2026, the launch was marked by a show “Hollywood” in tribute to the edition's theme. This tradition anchors the festival in a festive and popular dimension, beyond just the film programming.