Prehistoric Film Festival
2026
About Prehistoric Film Festival
The Prehistoric Film Festival is the only cinematic event in France entirely devoted to this era. Recent documentaries, fiction films, and animations are screened in the evenings at the Pech Merle Prehistory Centre in Cabrerets, with directors and prehistorians in attendance to engage with the audience.
Prehistoric Film Festival — edition 2026
For two and a half days, the Centre de Préhistoire du Pech Merle hosts the best recent films on prehistory, including documentaries, fiction, YouTube videos, and experimental films. Directors, prehistorians, and guest authors will engage with the audience between screenings during our "apéros-blabla" social sessions. On Sunday afternoon, the jury will present the awards, under the patronage of Jean-Jacques Hublin.
Highlights Prehistoric Film Festival 2026
- Friday 8:30 PM: Chauvet, voyage aux origines, by Guy Padovani
- Saturday 9:00 AM: Rupestres, with illustrator Troub's signing books
- Saturday 10:45 PM: Lucy, les 50 ans d'une découverte
- Sunday 4:00 PM: Awards ceremony followed by the closing cocktail
- 2026 Jury: Emma Baus, François Bon, Myriam Cuennet, Pascal Magontier, Benjamin Marquebielle
- Stalls: Calligramme bookstore from Cahors, signings, merchandise shop
Programme Prehistoric Film Festival 2026
Friday, October 2nd, 2026
- 1:30 PM — Festival opening
- 2:00 PM — Dans la peau des premiers paysans français · documentary by Stéphane Jacques, 2025, 90 min
- 3:40 PM — Construire une pirogue au Néolithique · documentary by Jacky Meslin, 2025, 41 min
- 4:30 PM — Break: refreshments and bookstore
- 4:50 PM — Gavrinis, un monde dans un autre · episode from the YouTube channel "Préhistorex" by Ismahein Marzougui, 2025, 30 min
- 5:30 PM — Le mystère Balchiria · documentary by Marc Azéma, 2025, 52 min
- 6:30 PM — Session end · social drinks in the museum lobby
- 8:30 PM — Chauvet, voyage aux origines · documentary by Guy Padovani, 2025, 90 min
- 10:15 PM — Les pattes du bison · fiction by Maarten Peels, 2025, 18 min
- 10:40 PM — Paléonirique · experimental film by Stéphane Kowalczyk, 2025, 9 min
- 11:00 PM — Session end
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
- 9:00 AM — Rupestres · documentary by Marc Azéma, 2025, 90 min (illustrator Troub's will be signing books during this screening)
- 10:45 AM — Primitif · fiction, 2026, 18 min
- 11:10 AM — Petite histoire des fouilles de la grotte de Gatzarria · episode from the YouTube channel "Carnets de fouilles" by Stéphane Kowalczyk, 2025, 16 min
- 11:35 AM — CRO · fiction, 2026, 18 min
- 12:05 PM — Session end · refreshment and bookstore break
- 2:00 PM — Sulawesi, l'île des premières images · documentary by Pascal Goblot and Denis Van Waerebeke, 2025, 55 min
- 3:10 PM — Les secrets des fresques d'Amazonie · documentary by Juan José Lozano, 2025, 55 min
- 4:15 PM — Les Magdaléniens de retour au musée de Solutré · documentary by Ivan Frohberg, 2024, 8 min
- 4:30 PM — Break: refreshments and bookstore
- 5:00 PM — Un grand terrain de nulle part · episode from the YouTube channel "Carnets de fouilles" by Stéphane Kowalczyk, 2025, 45 min
- 5:55 PM — De pierre et d'os · documentary by Olivier Besse, 2026, 18 min
- 6:30 PM — Session end · social drinks in the museum lobby
- 8:00 PM — Durandal, un biface préhistorique à reproduire · episode from the YouTube channel "Carnets de fouilles" by Stéphane Kowalczyk, 2025, 45 min
- 8:55 PM — Fouilles d'Abbeville : fenêtre sur la vie des premiers hommes d'il y a 600 000 ans · documentary by François Goulin, 2025, 5 min
- 9:00 PM — Toba, le volcan qui a failli tuer l'humanité · documentary by Franck Cuvillier and Eric Ellena, 2026, 90 min
- 10:45 PM — Lucy, les 50 ans d'une découverte · documentary by Sébastien Pagani and Samantha Frot
- 11:10 PM — Session end
Sunday, October 4th, 2026
- 9:30 AM — Sahara vert, l'énigme du paradis perdu · documentary by Saleha Gherdane, 2024, 90 min
- 11:15 AM — Le mystère des cerfs-volants du désert · documentary by Nathalie Laville, 2025, 52 min
- 12:20 PM — Session end · refreshment and bookstore break
- 2:00 PM — El Kowm, une histoire d'avant l'écriture · documentary by Amjad Alqadi, 2024, 23 min
- 2:35 PM — Les gardiens du passé de Menjez · documentary by Giovan Peyrotty, 2025, 19 min
- 3:15 PM — Paysages post-archéologiques (Lascaux) · experimental film by Nathalie Joffre, 2023, 5 min
- 3:25 PM — Break: refreshments and bookstore
- 4:00 PM — Awards ceremony
- 4:45 PM — Closing cocktail
Alongside the screenings: stalls from the Calligramme bookstore in Cahors, author signings, and the festival merchandise shop (eco-cups, posters, stickers). Free admission. Program published by the organizer at objectif-prehistoire.fr (PDF "Programme FOP 26").
Prices Prehistoric Film Festival 2026
A jury of professionals awards four prizes to the selected works: the Grand Jury Prize, the Scientific Mediation Prize, the Original Approach Prize, and the Audience Prize. The films focus on prehistory and its related disciplines—such as genetics, dating methods, and new excavation technologies—and must have been produced within the last two years to be eligible for competition.
The festival is organized by the Objectif Préhistoire association and takes place at the Pech Merle Prehistory Centre, located next to the famous decorated cave of the same name. The 2024 edition featured around twenty films over three days, from October 4th to 6th.
Where does it take place — Prehistoric Film Festival
Prehistoric Film Festival in brief
History of Prehistoric Film Festival
Edition 2024 Oct 2024Other festivals near Cabrerets
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Published by Valentin Contard, festival listings writer. Reviewed, corrected and approved by Christophe Contard, editor-in-chief. .
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