L'Enfant et le 7e Art

More than thirty years of cinema education

Created in 1993 by the association Aux quatre coins de l'enfance, the festival L'Enfant et le 7e Art is one of the oldest festivals of cinema for young audiences in France. For over thirty years, this traveling event has toured Seine-et-Marne with a clear mission: to awaken a love of cinema in the youngest by offering them quality films, far from standardized blockbusters, and by accompanying them in discovering the cinematic language. Based in Fontainebleau, the festival shines each year on about fifteen towns in the department, reaching thousands of children through a network of partner cinemas.

A traveling festival over five months

The originality of L'Enfant et le 7e Art lies in its traveling format and its exceptional duration. From January to May, the festival moves from town to town, taking over the cinemas of Seine-et-Marne for special screenings followed by debates and workshops. This format allows it to reach a large and diverse audience, including in towns far from major cultural circuits. School screenings, organized in conjunction with teachers, are at the heart of the initiative: they allow children to discover films selected for their artistic quality and their ability to open their eyes to the world.

Image education and children's juries

The festival does not just show films: it offers a real journey of image education. Workshops allow children to learn film analysis, understand animation and filming techniques, or even make their own short films. Children's juries are formed in the participating towns: young spectators watch the films in competition, debate, and award their prizes, thus developing their critical thinking and argumentation skills. Meetings with film professionals—directors, animators, technicians—complete this educational program.

A demanding and international selection

The programming of L'Enfant et le 7e Art is the result of rigorous selection work. The selected films—fiction, animated films, short films, and documentaries—come from all over the world and are chosen for their narrative originality, aesthetic quality, and ability to engage young audiences. The festival highlights cinematographies rarely seen in theaters, offering children an opening to the diversity of cultures and imaginations. This artistic rigor, combined with quality educational support, has earned the festival recognition from education and cinema professionals.