Mountain Cinematheque Encounters

Mountain Cinema in the Spotlight in Gap

Created in 2009, the Mountain Cinematheque Encounters have become one of the major cultural events in the Hautes-Alpes. Every year at the end of November, the Le Quattro cinema in Gap hosts four days of screenings dedicated to mountain films: adventure documentaries, mountaineering stories, ski touring explorations, ice climbing, distant expeditions, and films about the alpine environment. The event is supported by the Cinémathèque d'Images de Montagne (CIM), founded in 1996 by Gilles Charensol and Valérie Bonfé, which holds one of the richest mountain image collections in the world.

Films and Encounters

The festival is not limited to screenings: it offers a true space for encounters between the public and players in mountain cinema. Directors come to present their works and interact with spectators. Thematic conferences, literary meetings, and signing sessions punctuate the days. The selected films cover a wide spectrum, from extreme adventure to naturalistic contemplation, including portraits of mountaineers and environmental issues. A jury awards prizes for the best productions of the year.

National and International Reach

With nearly 10,000 spectators per edition, the Mountain Cinematheque Encounters have established themselves as an unmissable event for filmmakers, adventurers, and mountain lovers. The festival hosts films from around the world and contributes to the dissemination of mountain culture. The 17th edition in 2025 notably presented 14 films with prestigious guests such as mountain biker Kilian Bron, while the 18th edition is scheduled for November 2026.

The CIM, Guardian of Mountain Visual Memory

Beyond the festival, the Cinémathèque d'Images de Montagne continues its mission year-round of collecting, preserving, and disseminating films shot in mountain environments since the invention of cinema. Located at 7 bis rue du Forest d'Entrais in Gap, it is open to the public on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. This unique cinematographic heritage makes Gap a reference center for mountain imagery in France and internationally.