Mutoscope
The festival of mutant short films at the Comoedia cinema
About Mutoscope
Mutoscope is the Lyon meeting place for bold and unique short films. Every January, the Comoedia cinema hosts this festival dedicated to short films that challenge conventions, mixing fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental cinema. With its competition screenings, awards given by a jury and the public, and special screenings exploring the most avant-garde forms of cinema, Mutoscope has become an unmissable event for lovers of mutant cinema in Lyon.
Travel to this festival
Book your train or bus to reach Mutoscope at the best price.
Sponsored link
Mutoscope: The Festival of Mutant Short Films in Lyon
Born in 2021 at the Comoedia cinema, in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, Mutoscope is a short film festival like no other. Supported by the association ZoneBis, also behind the famous Hallucinations Collectives festival, Mutoscope explores the most unique, strange, and bold territories of contemporary cinematic creation.
Films That Disturb, Surprise, and Fascinate
The very name of the festival is a manifesto: the mutoscope, a mechanical ancestor of cinema, evokes fascination with moving images, while the term "mutant" refers to works that deviate from norms, narrative and aesthetic conventions. Fiction, documentary, animation, live-action, experimental cinema: all genres are represented, as long as the films offer a unique, disturbing, or visionary perspective on the world.
A Rich and Demanding Program
Each edition features an official competition spread across several screenings, with about fifty films selected from the most remarkable recent productions. Three awards are given to the best works: the Jury Prize, the Audience Award, and the Turfu Selection Prize, awarded by a jury of young filmmakers from CinéFabrique, the national film school in Lyon.
Beyond the competition, the festival offers special non-competition screenings, retrospectives dedicated to avant-garde filmmakers, and focuses on independent animation studios. The programming, intentionally demanding and eclectic, is aimed at a discerning audience, curious and open to the most inventive forms of short cinema.
The Comoedia, a Showcase for Lyon's Author Cinema
The festival takes place at the Comoedia cinema, a legendary venue in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, known for its arthouse programming and its commitment to independent cinema. With its intimate theaters and warm atmosphere, the Comoedia offers an ideal setting for discovering rare and surprising films. The programming is not recommended for viewers under 16 due to the sometimes disturbing nature of the works presented.
A Festival Rooted in Lyon's Cinematic Ecosystem
Mutoscope is part of Lyon's rich cinematic tradition, the birthplace of cinema with the Lumière brothers. The festival helps make the Lyon metropolitan area a major hub for genre and avant-garde cinema in France, alongside Hallucinations Collectives, the Lumière Festival, and many other events dedicated to the seventh art.
Mutoscope — edition 2026
The 5th edition of Mutoscope will be held from January 16 to 18, 2026, at the Comoedia cinema in Lyon. The festival will feature a new selection of mutant short films in competition, along with special screenings and a focus on the Swiss studio YK Animation.
Mutoscope 2026 - 5th Edition
The Mutoscope festival returns to the Comoedia cinema from January 16 to 18, 2026, for its 5th edition. This unmissable event for mutant short films in Lyon will offer a new selection of bold, unique, and avant-garde films from recent international productions.
The program will include several competition screenings, an opening screening dedicated to music short films, and a closing focus on the Swiss studio YK Animation, known for its inventive and offbeat visual creations.
Three awards will be presented at the end of the festival: the Jury Prize, the Young Jury Prize, and the Audience Award. A repeat screening of the award winners and audience favorites is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, at 8:30 PM at the Comoedia.
Highlights Mutoscope 2026
- 5th edition of the festival at the Comoedia cinema
- Closing focus on the Swiss studio YK Animation
- Opening screening dedicated to music short films
- Three awards presented: Jury Prize, Young Jury Prize, and Audience Award
- Repeat screening of award winners on January 20
Prices Mutoscope 2026
Practical information — Mutoscope
Access to the Comoedia Cinema
By Public Transport
The Comoedia cinema is served by tram T1, stop Quai Claude Bernard, a 5-minute walk away. Metro line B, stop Jean Macé, is also nearby (10 minutes walk).
By Bike
Several Vélo'v stations are available near the cinema, particularly on Avenue Berthelot and Quai Claude Bernard.
By Car
The cinema is located at 13 Avenue Berthelot, in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon. Parking spaces are available along the avenue and in adjacent streets. The Jean Macé parking lot is accessible a few minutes away.
Prices
Morning screenings: €6. Evening screenings: festival reduced price of €7.70. Programming not recommended for under 16s.
Ticketing
Tickets on sale on the Comoedia cinema website: www.cinema-comoedia.com and at the cinema box office.
Contact
Comoedia Cinema: 13 Avenue Berthelot, 69007 Lyon
Phone: 04 26 99 45 00
Festival website: www.mutoscope.fr
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No review yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Travel to this festival
Book your train or bus to reach Mutoscope at the best price.
Sponsored link
Where does it take place — Mutoscope
Cinéma Comoedia
13 avenue Berthelot, 69007 Lyon