Submissions have closed and are now under review. Submitters will be notified in January, for the 2024 festival, held from March 29 -1 April 2024.

Directors please note that depending on the screen time available, we may ask for a "broadcast length" version. This is typically 52 minutes.

Ethnografilm is a Director's festival, held each April at Club De L'Etoile, next to the Arc de Triomphe in the center of Paris.

All non-fiction films are eligible for the festival.

At our last festival 90% of the directors were there to discuss films, meet colleagues, drink wine, and initiate new collaborations! Our bar and gallery are the perfect place to watch films again, argue fine points, ask and answer questions from other directors.
“Ethnographic” films are not simply about far away people and places. We particularly solicit movies about modern life  as well as remote corners of the planet!

Nonfiction filmmakers are the primary audience for Ethnografilm. Last year one director said "I nominate this for the best festival in the world. The place and the atmosphere are so fantastic." The previous year two filmmakers got engaged! Please send us an email if you particularly want to come to Paris. http://ethnografilm.com

Best Quotes from attending directors:

From someone who had screened at Cannes: What I love about Ethnografilm is the absence of snottiness.

My favorite festival in all the world! It was fantastic: thought provoking, diverse, delicious…

I had such a wonderful time last week and it is no exaggeration to say that participating in the festival has been a highlight of my life.

One of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

From an international relations specialist: I learned more about international relations than at our main professional academic convention!

From a theatre staff member: We love your festival so much…the theatre comes alive!

From someone who spent all day working on his laptop just outside the screening room:

The atmosphere here is just so much better than anywhere else, even though I have a deadline and can’t watch films!

You have provided inspiration that I will continue to think on throughout the year and as I approach my next projects.

Fantastic festival. You did an amazing job. I really enjoyed every single film I saw, and that was around 20 films.

The best festival I have ever been to.

What a great team spirit great ambience great films great people.

Everything was perfect, the location, the amazingly friendly and supportive team of festival organisers, the wide array of interesting and, at times, inspiring films, the opportunities to chat with the interesting and, at times, inspiring directors, the wine.
Without doubt memorable and exceptional.

Wonderful festival – very friendly and full of lovely little touches such as the paintings.

Ethnografilm is a model for what can be accomplished when a professional organizing team supports a strong creative vision. Filmmaker, 2014.

Just being able to sit in that space and enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with the filmmakers was delightful.

I screened at the last two Cannes festivals but the press was the target audience. Ethnografilm is for the filmmakers.

This festival is very non-French.
(We had no idea what this meant...but he said it was because there was no entrance fee!)

Best theatre on Planet Earth.

Your film on the main screen in Paris!

Our single award is the Pomme de Canard award (self-nominated) to the director who experienced the biggest mishap in the making of their film!

If your film is selected for the festival, *Ethnografilm* requests your permission to keep a copy for archival purposes. We do not duplicate or sell these materials. The video and accompanying materials will be kept in the *Ethnografilm* library for viewing and statistical compilations by festival staff onsite. The submitter confirms they have the right to submit this film, has obtained all necessary permissions, and it does not infringe the rights of any third party. You may submit more than one film but no more than one film can be screened by a director at a single festival. Submission of a screening copy to Ethnografilm Paris also indicates willingness to participate in our short "traveling" Ethnografilm Festivals in Africa, Asia, and Europe. In 2024 we launched our first traveling festival in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya!

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Daniel Ifans

    Such a brilliant festival in a wonderful city.

    April 2023
  • Birgitte Glavind Sperber

    Wonderful concept. The wonderful place gave lovely opportunities for contacts and discussions among directors. The selected films gave lots of inspirations. The organisers created a warm and welcoming athmosphere. Thank you so very very much for everything.

    April 2023
  • Susan Mann

    We loved the venue, the opportunity to talk with other directors/filmmakers, the quality of the works presented, and April in Paris. This is our favorite film festival experience so far, and we hope to attend again with our next film. Thank you Wesley, "K", Greg and Matt for making this an enjoyable and memorable experience for us!

    April 2023
  • Christine Rogers

    A great festival, and my second attendance. No prizes, no bullshit, just excellent camaraderie with other filmmakers, lots of interesting films and cheese and cheap wine! What's not to like?

    April 2023
  • Filmmakers to filmmakers – a seemingly simple but incredibly functional concept. Thanks to the organisers for coming up with it...

    April 2023