L'Étrange Festival

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.