Nature & Environment Film Festival
The first festival in France dedicated to wildlife and environmental film, since 1976
About Nature & Environment Festival
Created in 1976 by FRAPNA Isère (which became FNE Isère in 2019), the Grenoble Nature & Environment Film Festival is the very first French festival entirely devoted to wildlife and environmental film. Under the honorary presidency of Hubert Reeves since 1999, it offers a week of documentary screenings followed by debates each autumn in the cinemas of the Grenoble metropolitan area. An associative jury awards the Golden Hedgehog, the Silver Hedgehog, and the Golden Choupisson. An engaged, activist event, accessible to all, it raises awareness among more than 6,000 spectators each year on the challenges of biodiversity and ecological transition.
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The very first nature and environment film festival in France
Founded in 1976 by FRAPNA Isère (Rhône-Alpes Federation for Nature Protection), which became France Nature Environnement Isère (FNE Isère) in 2019, the Nature & Environment Film Festival is a pioneering event: it is the very first festival in France entirely dedicated to wildlife and environmental film. For nearly fifty years, this autumn gathering has brought together filmmakers, naturalists, environmental activists, and the general public for screenings of committed documentaries, followed by passionate debates in the heart of the Grenoble metropolitan area.
A unique activist and cultural event in Isère
The festival is much more than just a film event: it is an activist and cultural gathering driven by the volunteers of FNE Isère. Each edition is the result of colossal selection work—over 300 hours of viewing—during which each film is watched by at least three committee members before being selected. The program addresses major contemporary environmental themes: biodiversity, climate change, ecological transition, species protection, deforestation, sustainable agriculture, pollution, and many other topics at the heart of today's concerns.
Screenings and debates in metropolitan cinemas
The screenings take place in several cinemas in the Grenoble metropolitan area: Cinéma Le Club in Grenoble for evening screenings and family sessions, La Vence Scène in Saint-Égrève for the opening night, and Cinéma Le Jeu de Paume in Vizille for the closing ceremony accompanied by a nature outing and awards ceremony. Each session consists of a short film and a feature-length documentary, followed by a discussion with specialists, directors, or members of environmental associations.
Honorary Presidency of Hubert Reeves
Since 1999, the festival has been under the honorary presidency of Hubert Reeves, an astrophysicist, scientific popularizer, and ardent defender of nature. This prestigious endorsement attests to the quality and seriousness of the programming, which combines scientific rigor and artistic sensitivity to raise awareness about the state of living things.
Awards presented by an associative jury
A jury composed of members from associations affiliated with FNE Isère rewards the best films of each edition by presenting three awards:
- The Golden Hedgehog for the best feature-length documentary
- The Silver Hedgehog (or Bronze Hedgehog) for the second-best feature film
- The Golden Choupisson for the best short film
These original distinctions, reflecting the hedgehog emblem of nature conservation, reward works that combine cinematic quality and environmental commitment.
An ambitious school program
In addition to public screenings, the festival offers a significant school program: about twenty sessions are organized for students from primary school to high school in the Grenoble area and the Isère region. Each year, nearly 5,000 students, accompanied by their teachers, discover films from the youth selection, contributing to environmental education through documentary cinema.
Nature & Environment Festival — edition 2026
The 40th edition of the Nature & Environment Film Festival in November 2026 will celebrate the festival's 50th anniversary, created in 1976. This exceptional anniversary will mark half a century of nature and environmental documentary screenings in Grenoble and its metropolitan area. The call for films is open, and the program will be announced in autumn 2026.
40th Edition — 50th Anniversary of the Festival
The year 2026 marks a double historical event for the Nature & Environment Film Festival: its 40th edition and the 50th anniversary of its creation in 1976. For half a century, this pioneering festival has been raising awareness among the public in Grenoble and Isère about nature and environmental issues through documentary cinema.
An Exceptional Anniversary
To celebrate this jubilee, FNE Isère is preparing a special edition worthy of the event. The festival, the first of its kind in France, has spanned five decades of environmental activism, accompanying successive ecological awakenings—from the protection of wild species in the 1970s to the climate crisis and the collapse of biodiversity today. This 40th edition will be an opportunity to revisit this journey while looking towards the future.
Call for Films Open
The call for films for the 40th edition is open. Documentary filmmakers dealing with nature, the environment, biodiversity, or ecological transition are invited to submit their works. The selection committee, composed of passionate volunteers, will rigorously review all submitted films, as it does every year.
Expected Program
As every year, the festival will offer:
- Public screenings combining short films and feature-length documentaries followed by debates
- An opening night and a closing session with awards ceremony
- Family sessions adapted for young audiences
- A school program with numerous sessions for students in the metropolitan area
- The awarding of the Golden Hedgehog, the Silver Hedgehog, and the Golden Choupisson
The full program and definitive dates will be announced in autumn 2026 on the festival's official website and FNE Isère's social media channels.
Highlights Nature & Environment Festival 2026
- 40th edition and 50th anniversary of the first nature and environment film festival in France
- Half a century of environmental awareness through documentary cinema
- Call for films open for nature and environment documentary filmmakers
- Screenings planned in the cinemas of the Grenoble metropolitan area (Le Club, La Vence Scène, Le Jeu de Paume)
- Awards ceremony: Golden Hedgehog, Silver Hedgehog, Golden Choupisson
- School program and family sessions on the agenda
- Full program to be announced in autumn 2026
Prices Nature & Environment Festival 2026
Practical information — Nature & Environment Festival
Dates and period
The festival is held annually in late November, over approximately one week (Sunday to the following Sunday). Public screenings are concentrated in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday, with a family session on Saturday afternoon and a closing session on Sunday afternoon.
Screening venues
- Cinéma Le Club — 9 bis rue du Phalanstère, 38000 Grenoble (evening screenings and family session)
- La Vence Scène — 1 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 38120 Saint-Égrève (opening night)
- Cinéma Le Jeu de Paume — Place du Château, 38220 Vizille (closing session and awards ceremony)
Prices
- Cinéma Le Club (Grenoble): €7 full price / €6 reduced price (under 25s, over 65s, social welfare recipients, FNE Isère members)
- La Vence Scène (Saint-Égrève): €4 single price
- Le Jeu de Paume (Vizille): €5 single price
Access to Cinéma Le Club (main venue)
By tram: Line A — Hubert Dubedout - Maison du Tourisme stop or Verdun - Préfecture stop. Line B — Notre-Dame Musée stop.
By bus: Several lines of the M TAG network serve the Grenoble city center near the cinema.
By car: Vaucanson Parking, Philippeville Parking, or Lafayette Parking near the historic center.
By bike: Mvélo+ station and bike racks nearby.
Contact
- Organizer: France Nature Environnement Isère (FNE Isère)
- Address: Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement de l'Isère (MNEI), 5 place Bir-Hakeim, 38000 Grenoble
- Phone: 04 76 42 64 08
- Festival Email: [email protected]
- School screenings Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.festivalfilmfneisere.org
Accessibility
The three cinemas hosting the festival are accessible to people with reduced mobility. For any specific needs, please contact the festival team by phone or email.
Volunteering
The festival operates thanks to a team of about 10 volunteers and one employee. Individuals wishing to contribute can express their interest via the festival's website.
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Where does it take place — Nature & Environment Festival
Cinéma Le Club, La Vence Scène & Le Jeu de Paume
5 place Bir-Hakeim, 38000 Grenoble