Les Reflets du Cinéma
Traveling Film Festival in Mayenne
About Reflets du Cinéma
Created in 1997 by the association Atmosphères 53, Les Reflets du Cinéma is a departmental festival that each year explores the cinema of a country or territory. For ten days in March, over 25,000 spectators gather in the eleven cinemas of Mayenne to discover more than fifty films in their original version with subtitles. Conferences, exhibitions, shows, workshops, and round tables complete the program, with around twenty guests—directors, actors, technicians, and academics—meeting the Mayenne public.
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A Cinematic Journey Around the World
Since 1997, Les Reflets du Cinéma has offered Mayenne audiences an annual immersion into the cinema of a country or cultural area. Founded by Jean-Yves Roy and Antoine Glémain within the association Atmosphères 53, the festival has become a must-attend event in Mayenne's cultural landscape, attracting over 25,000 spectators each year.
A Rich and Accessible Program
Each edition features a selection of over fifty films—features and shorts—screened in original version with subtitles across the department's eleven cinemas. The program blends heritage films, recent works, previews, and exclusives, offering a comprehensive and nuanced panorama of the featured country's cinematic output. Screenings for young audiences allow families to share the discovery of world cinema.
Much More Than Just Cinema
Beyond screenings, Les Reflets du Cinéma offers a program of cultural activities that enrich the spectator experience. Conferences and debates delve deeper into the themes explored in the films. Photographic and artistic exhibitions accompany the program. Live performances—theater, music, dance—provide complementary insights into the highlighted culture. Practical workshops introduce the public to filmmaking techniques, while professional round tables bring together industry professionals.
Prestigious Guests Meet the Public
Each year, around twenty guests—directors, actors, technicians, journalists, academics, and distributors—travel to Mayenne to present their work and engage with the audience. These privileged encounters are a highlight of the festival and help forge a direct link between creators and spectators.
A Festival Rooted Throughout the Department
One of the strengths of Les Reflets du Cinéma is its local anchoring. The festival unfolds in eleven cinemas spread across the entire Mayenne department: in Laval (L'Avant-Scène and Cinéville), Mayenne (Le Vox), Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne (Le Palace), Évron, Ernée, Gorron, Montsûrs, Craon, Le Bourgneuf-la-Forêt, and Villaines-la-Juhel. This distribution allows it to reach a diverse audience, in both urban and rural areas, in line with Atmosphères 53's mission to make cinema accessible to everyone throughout the territory.
Atmosphères 53, Driving Cinema in Mayenne
The association Atmosphères 53, created in 1989, is a departmental cinema association dedicated to media literacy and the promotion of auteur cinema (fiction and documentary) to all audiences. Beyond Les Reflets du Cinéma, it coordinates the department's cinema network, organizes media education programs for schools, and develops cultural activities year-round. The festival is supported by the CNC, the DRAC des Pays de la Loire, the Conseil départemental de la Mayenne, the Conseil régional, and local authorities.
Reflets du Cinéma — edition 2026
The 30th edition of Les Reflets du Cinéma celebrates Hispanic cinema from March 13 to 21, 2026. The festival offers a panorama of the diversity and incredible richness of cinematic production from the Hispanic world, from Spain to Argentina, from Chile to Mexico, with focuses on Carla Simón, Lucrecia Martel, and Costa Rican female directors.
30th Edition — Hispanic Cinema
For its 30th edition, Les Reflets du Cinéma sets its sights on the Hispanic world from March 13 to 21, 2026. From Spain to Argentina, from Chile to Mexico, and including Costa Rica, the festival presents a panorama of the diversity and incredible richness of Spanish-language cinema, blending magical realism with political cinema, and intimacy with grand social epics.
Focus on Lucrecia Martel
A focus is dedicated to Lucrecia Martel, a major figure in contemporary Argentine cinema. Director of La Ciénaga, The Headless Woman, and Zama, she is recognized for her sensory and immersive approach to filmmaking, exploring the unspoken and social tensions within Argentine society with exceptional formal mastery.
Focus on Carla Simón
A second focus highlights Carla Simón, a young Catalan filmmaker who broke through with Summer 1993 and gained international acclaim with the Golden Bear for Alcarràs. Her cinema, rooted in everyday life and family memory, demonstrates rare sensitivity and a profoundly humanistic view of the transformations in the rural world.
Costa Rican Female Directors Honored
The 2026 edition also gives a special place to Costa Rican female directors, offering a window into a film industry that is less known in France but possesses great creative vitality.
Opening Film: EL 47
The festival opened on March 13 with the screening of the film EL 47 at the Cinéville cinema in Laval, kicking off ten days of cinematic discoveries across the department's eleven venues.
Highlights Reflets du Cinéma 2026
Highlights of the 2026 Edition
- Theme: Hispanic Cinema — from Spain to Latin America
- Focus on Lucrecia Martel: a major figure in Argentine cinema
- Focus on Carla Simón: Golden Bear winner at Berlin for Alcarràs
- Focus on Costa Rican female directors
- Opening Film: EL 47
- Screenings in the 11 cinemas of Mayenne
Prices Reflets du Cinéma 2026
Practical information — Reflets du Cinéma
Practical Information
Dates
The festival takes place annually in March, lasting for ten days. Specific dates are announced at the beginning of the year on the festival's official website.
Screening Venues
Screenings are held in eleven cinemas across the Mayenne department:
- L'Avant-Scène — 29 allée du Vieux Saint-Louis, 53000 Laval (art house association cinema, 124 seats)
- Cinéville Laval — boulevard de l'Industrie, 53000 Laval
- Le Vox — Mayenne
- Le Palace — Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne
- Cinéma d'Évron — Évron
- Cinéma d'Ernée — Ernée
- Cinéma de Gorron — Gorron
- Cinéma de Montsûrs — Montsûrs
- Cinéma de Craon — Craon
- Cinéma du Bourgneuf-la-Forêt — Le Bourgneuf-la-Forêt
- Cinéma de Villaines-la-Juhel — Villaines-la-Juhel
Prices
Prices vary by venue. Reduced rates are available for students, job seekers, under-18s, and members of Atmosphères 53. Festival passes are available. Consult the detailed program on the official website for current prices.
Access
By train: Laval station (TGV from Paris-Montparnasse in 1h30), then take the TUL urban bus to L'Avant-Scène or Cinéville.
By car: Laval is accessible via the A81 motorway (Paris–Rennes). Free parking is available near the cinemas.
By bus: Aléop departmental transport network to reach cinemas in other Mayenne towns.
Accessibility
Partner cinemas are accessible to people with reduced mobility. Some screenings offer audio description or adapted subtitling services.
Contact
Atmosphères 53
12 rue Guimond-des-Riveries, 53100 Mayenne
Phone: 02 43 04 20 46
Email: [email protected]
Festival Website: www.lesrefletsducinema.com
Association Website: www.atmospheres53.org
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Where does it take place — Reflets du Cinéma
L'Avant-Scène Cinéma
29 allée du Vieux Saint-Louis, 53000 Laval