L'Étrange Festival
International genre cinema festival at Forum des Images
2026
About L'Étrange Festival
L'Étrange Festival — edition 2026
The 32nd edition of L'Étrange Festival takes over the Forum des images from Tuesday, September 1st to Saturday, September 12th, 2026. Yuen Woo-ping's Blades of the Guardians opens the festival with its French premiere, kicking off twelve days of fantasy, horror, science fiction, thrillers, and experimental cinema. Rebeka Warrior and Philippe Vuillemin will each present a 'carte blanche' selection. The full screening schedule has not yet been released as of mid-August 2026.
32nd Edition — September 1st to 12th, 2026
L'Étrange Festival returns to the Forum des images for its 32nd edition, running from Tuesday, September 1st to Saturday, September 12th, 2026. As of mid-August 2026, neither the festival's website nor the Forum des images site has published the screening schedule.
Opening Film
The opening night features Blades of the Guardians (Le Sabre des gardiens), a Chinese film by Yuen Woo-ping based on the Biao Ren manhua. This marks its French premiere, ahead of its theatrical release on November 25th by Carlotta Films. The film is in contention for the Grand Prix Nouveau Genre Canal+ and the International Feature Film Audience Award. The same screening will host the world premiere of Le Trésor, a French-Belgian animated short by Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier, presented by the directors themselves.
Carte Blanche
Two guests have been invited to curate their own programs and present their favorite films: Rebeka Warrior, singer, musician, and author, and Philippe Vuillemin, comic book artist, musician, and actor.
Poster
The 2026 poster was designed by Marc Bruckert, based on a visual by Pierre Jamin.
Ticketing
Tickets are €11 full price, €9 reduced, and €7.50 with the Forum Liberté card. Two passes are available: €35 for 5 films, €60 for 10 films. L'Étrange Musique screenings are €15. Découvertes Canal+ tickets are free and can be picked up at the Forum des images box office 24 hours before the screening, limited to 2 per person.
Highlights L'Étrange Festival 2026
- Yuen Woo-ping's Blades of the Guardians as the opening film, French premiere
- World premiere of Le Trésor by Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier, with both directors in attendance
- Carte blanche selections by Rebeka Warrior and Philippe Vuillemin
Programme L'Étrange Festival 2026
As of mid-August 2026, the day-by-day schedule for the twelve-day event has not yet been released: the Forum des images indicates "more info to come" and the festival website has not yet launched its 2026 section. Here is what the organizers have announced so far.
Opening Screening
- Blades of the Guardians (Le Sabre des gardiens) by Yuen Woo-ping · China · based on the Biao Ren manhua · French premiere, ahead of the November 25th theatrical release by Carlotta Films · competing for the Grand Prix Nouveau Genre Canal+ and the Audience Award
- Le Trésor by Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier · French-Belgian animated short · world premiere, presented by the directors · shown during the same screening
Carte Blanche
- Rebeka Warrior — singer, musician, and author; presenting her personal film selections
- Philippe Vuillemin — comic book artist, musician, and actor; presenting his personal film selections
Competition
- International Feature Film Competition, featuring the Grand Prix Nouveau Genre Canal+ and the Audience Award
Festival Highlights
- Fantasy, horror, science fiction, thrillers, experimental works, and forgotten cinema
- Carte blanche selections and tributes
Prices L'Étrange Festival 2026
L'Étrange 5-film pass: €35 · L'Étrange 10-film pass: €60.
L'Étrange Musique screenings: €15, flat rate.
Découvertes Canal+: free tickets available at the Forum des images box office 24 hours before the screening, maximum 2 per person.
Tickets available at forumdesimages.fr. No exchanges or refunds. Latecomers will not be admitted once the screening has started.
Practical information — L'Étrange Festival
Practical Information
Getting There
Forum des images — Westfield Forum des Halles, 2 rue du Cinéma, 75001 Paris.
- Metro: Les Halles (line 4), Châtelet (lines 1, 7, 14)
- RER: Châtelet-Les Halles (lines A, B, D)
- Bus: 67, 74, 85, Coquillière-Les Halles stop
Opening Hours
The Forum des images opens 30 minutes before the first screening and closes 30 minutes after the start of the final one.
Ticket Prices
- Standard screening: €11 full price, €9 reduced rate (under 30s, students, job seekers, over 60s, people with disabilities), €7.50 with the Forum Liberté card
- L'Étrange Pass: €35 for 5 films, €60 for 10 films
- L'Étrange Musique screenings: €15, flat rate
- Canal+ Discoveries: free tickets, available at the box office 24 hours before the screening, maximum 2 per person
Ticketing
Tickets can be purchased online at forumdesimages.fr or in person at the Forum des images box office. No exchanges or refunds. Latecomers will not be admitted once the screening has started.
Contact
L'Étrange Festival — [email protected], etrangefestival.com. Forum des images: 01 44 76 63 00.
L'Étrange Festival: Over Thirty Years of Singular Cinema
Born in 1993 from a simple observation – the increasing difficulty of accessing "different" cinema, which nevertheless holds countless quality works – L'Étrange Festival has established itself as one of the major genre cinema events in Europe. Founded and directed by Frédéric Temps, joined by Philippe Lux for programming, the festival offers the general public the opportunity to discover rare, even unreleased, films in the best projection conditions.
Based since 2004 at the Forum des Images, in the historic heart of Paris, L'Étrange Festival offers a dense and abundant program each September: competition films, previews, retrospectives, carte blanches for major genre filmmakers or actors, tributes, exhibitions, and concerts. Eclecticism is its trademark: you'll find everything from Japanese horror cinema to Korean thrillers, Italian fantasy to American experimental cinema.
A Festival That Makes Genre Cinema History
Throughout its editions, L'Étrange Festival has cultivated a loyal and discerning audience while expanding its reach. The festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023 with a special edition and the publication of a book retracing three decades of cinematic adventure. This book tells how the festival gradually became an essential event, highlighting entire segments of forgotten cinematographies.
Memorable Tributes and Carte Blanches
Each edition is an opportunity to pay tribute to major figures in genre cinema. Over the years, L'Étrange Festival has hosted cult directors, legendary actors, and unclassifiable artists, offering them a platform to present their work and share their vision of cinema. The carte blanches allow these guests to curate a program reflecting their influences and obsessions.
The Forum des Images: A Showcase for Genre Cinema
The Forum des Images, located at Forum des Halles in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, offers an ideal technical and acoustic setting for screening genre films. Its equipped rooms allow works to be presented in optimal conditions, whether they are restored prints of classics or world premieres of contemporary productions.
A Program That Goes Beyond Cinema
L'Étrange Festival is not limited to film screenings. Concerts, exhibitions, and Q&A sessions with the film crews complement a program that makes the festival a total cultural event, where cinema dialogues with music, visual arts, and performance.
Where does it take place — L'Étrange Festival
L'Étrange Festival in brief
History of L'Étrange Festival
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Paris
Festival-goer reviews
No review yet. Be the first!
No rating yet — be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Have you spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every suggestion is reviewed by our team before publication.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)