Photo : @CanalMarches
First Edition of the CinéBelleville Festival
Belleville turns into an open-air cinema screen, celebrating the heartbeat of its streets and the stories of its residents. Explore a diverse selection of films ranging from gritty documentaries to creative shorts tucked away in local community spaces. It is a rare chance to see the neighborhood through the eyes of those who call it home.
About
Belleville transforms into a cinema hub from October 3 to 17, 2026, for the inaugural edition of the CinéBelleville Festival. With Denis Lavant as patron, the event showcases the lives and memories of residents in popular neighborhoods through a selection of 45 films, ranging from documentaries to fiction. This decentralized festival takes place in 30 different locations, including cultural centers and public spaces, offering screenings and debates for everyone. All events are free to attend, inviting visitors to discover a diverse program that celebrates local identity and creativity across the neighborhood.
From October 3 to 17, 2026, 45 films, 30 venues, Free admission
Belleville, a center for popular expression, struggle and solidarity, a place that welcomes people from all over the world, creativity and community action, calls for a film festival.
This year will see the first edition of the CinéBelleville Festival, centered on a theme: the voice and memory of the inhabitants of working-class neighborhoods, in Belleville and elsewhere in the world, under the banner of a patron worthy of this richness and diversity: Denis Lavant.
The programming is open to all, without restriction of form or format, including fiction and documentaries, recent or older or even heritage works, amateur films and videos, or those created under professional conditions.
A decentralized festival, the CinéBelleville Festival offers screening-debates in a variety of locations: community spaces, public areas, apartment courtyards and lobbies, cultural spaces, etc.
A unifying festival, the CinéBelleville Festival organizes two major common events, at the opening and closing, with parties and screenings.
An encouraging festival, the CinéBelleville Festival has launched a Call for short films of a maximum of 10 minutes on the North-East of Paris, so that the inhabitants, young and old, can take the floor and capture the image. The films proposed as part of this call will be presented to the festival jury, which will award "CinéBelleville Palms" at the closing ceremony on October 17.
An initiative proposed and coordinated by the association Canal Marches, carried collectively by an assembly of associations and sociocultural centers of Belleville, with a program established and co-organized by the Belleville Neighborhood Council, the associations Canal Marches and Trajectoires, and all the cultural and associative partners of the project: Les Artisans de Belleville, ArAcanthe, Association 10 000 pas, Association Les Amis de Perec, Les Ateliers d’Artistes de Belleville, Autremonde, Belleville Citoyenne, the Maryse Condé and Naguib Mahfouz Libraries, les Bobines de Belleville, the Café Social Ayyem Zamen, the Café Wam, the Carré de Baudouin, the Paris Anim’ Clavel and Place des Fêtes centers, the Louis Lumière Social Center, the Les Rigoles Social Center, the Archipélia Sociocultural Center, Les Colporteurs, Culture Rapide, the Belleville Amandiers Local Development Team, the Taos Amrouche Youth Space, the Foyer Bisson, Jeunesse Feu Vert Belleville, the Maison du Bas Belleville, Mon Coeur Belleville, Rapsode Production, le Relais de Belleville, Télé Bocal, La vague à l’âme, La Vie Devant Soi, la Villa Belleville
Our take on this event
The first CinéBelleville Festival spans 30 locations throughout the Belleville area from October 3 to 17, 2026. Under the patronage of Denis Lavant, the festival focuses on the theme of storytelling and the memory of residents living in working-class neighborhoods. The curated program includes 45 films, featuring a mix of professional and amateur productions, both recent releases and heritage cinema.
The festival is organized in a decentralized manner, utilizing community centers, cultural spaces, and even residential courtyards for its screenings and debates. Two major festive events, held at the opening and closing of the festival, bring the community together. All screenings are free of charge.
A key highlight is the short film competition dedicated to the North-East of Paris, encouraging residents to capture their own environment in videos of up to 10 minutes. A jury will present the "Palmes de CinéBelleville" awards during the closing ceremony on October 17. The festival is coordinated by the association Canal Marches in collaboration with a wide network of local cultural and community partners.
