The 28th edition of the Rencontres Ciné Montagne in Grenoble opens its doors slightly ahead of schedule, running from October 13 to October 17, 2026, at the Palais des Sports.
Doors open daily at 18:00, with screenings kicking off at 19:30, featuring a substantial 45-minute intermission designed for mingling in the partner village. Tickets are available via a five-day pass priced at 37 euros, standard tickets at 9 euros, and reduced rates ranging from 4 to 5 euros. Online ticketing officially opened on September 17, with reduced-rate digital purchases helping fund the Jeunes en Montagne projects, according to grenoble.fr.
A Shift in Presentation and Core Values
The date change is not the only notable update for this year’s festival cycle. Alpinist and 2024 edition godfather Symon Welfringer takes the stage alongside Pauline Boulet, editor-in-chief of Montagne Magazine, to co-host the evening presentations. Marie Chedrue, coordinator for the Rencontres Ciné Montagne, noted that each evening blends major sporting achievements with lighter moments, humor, and inspiring life stories across disciplines like kayaking, caving, high-altitude climbing, and handisport.
The programming committee—comprising 10 members, half of whom are selected via a public lottery—curated a lineup that emphasizes environmental and societal issues just as much as physical feats. Organizers actively prioritize films showcasing unmechanized and undeveloped mountain landscapes while curbing the inclusion of distant adventures reliant on air travel. Furthermore, thanks to the accessibility work done by the Silence On Grimpe association, all evening screenings feature French subtitles.
Daily Screenings and Notable Projects
Tuesday, October 13, sets the tone with a diverse opening roster. Solenne Piret tackles the Grand Capucin in Jérôme Tanon’s Cap ou pas cap, alongside ski traverses in Un Printemps au Mont-Blanc and an extensive 2,300-kilometer trek from Kashmir to Nepal in L’Himalaya au cœur. The opening night also features the female alpinist cordée story Fifty Fifty and the ice-climbing short Ice.
Mid-week sessions maintain the momentum. Wednesday, October 14, showcases the ski descent project at Mount Cook in Hunter’s Moon, an 800-meter highline dream in the Mont-Blanc massif titled L’Inutile, and Ganga Girls, which follows India’s first female whitewater kayaking team. Thursday shifts underground and north with Rivières secrètes des Nakanaï detailing subterranean exploration in Papua New Guinea, Mathieu Blanchard facing the Yukon Arctic Ultra in L’Appel du silence, and a contemplative look at Greenlandic ski guides in Shaped by Land.
The final stretch of the festival ramps up the intensity on Friday, October 16, with Vivian Bruchez tackling all 82 alpine summits over 4,000 meters in 4000M from Home, followed by Kilian Bron’s mountain biking adventures across Argentina and Bolivia in Mirage. Saturday closes out the main program with the opening of a new route on a 7,000-meter peak in Pakistan in Zindabad, Oscar Burnham’s path to disabled alpine skiing in Pas peur du bonheur, and an animated film addressing glacier retreat and climate change titled Et après ?
Exhibitions, Workshops, and Local Broadcasts
Beyond the main auditorium screenings, the venue hosts a sprawling partner village divided into four distinct corners focusing on safety and prevention, local actors, outdoor brands, and associations. Attendees can explore photography exhibitions by young high-mountain photographer Mathurin Vauthier and Patrick Georget’s display via the Festival du Pastoralisme.
The literary base camp welcomes authors for dedicated signings and discussions, while the Maison Grenoble Montagne transforms into the Maison des Rencontres to host specialized workshops and roundtables. Families find dedicated programming on Wednesday afternoon, complete with environmental awareness films and open sessions at the Spéléogrimpe park.
For those unable to attend in person, local broadcaster TG Plus (formerly TéléGrenoble) will air selected films from the festival every Sunday evening at 21:00, running from November 1 through November 29, 2026.
