Cinema and Paris go well together. In summer, films are screened outdoors in different areas of the capital. A great way to enjoy a movie under the stars!
Want to see a movie on a big screen comfortably seated in a deckchair? Then don't miss Cinéma en plein air at La Villette. This has been a well-established rendezvous with moviegoers for more than twenty years thanks to a rich and varied programme. The festival takes place over a month on the lawns of the Prairie du Triangle from late July to late August.
Every summer, the ‘Chaise et l’Ecran’ (‘Chair and Screen’) in the 11th arrondissement provides a quality programme of films with a film personality as patron. Giving prominence to great French and international directors, this festival sometimes mixes film screenings with concerts of film music. Note: most French films are subtitled in English.
Finally, if you like short films, go to the Festival Silhouette, which takes place from late August to early September in the Parc de la Butte du Chapeau-Rouge, in the 19th arrondissement. This free event has been taking place since 2002 and is dedicated exclusively to short films. As a bonus, each screening is preceded by a concert.
For documentary film lovers, the rendezvous is at the REcyclerie, in the 18th arrondissement, on the rails of the Petite Ceinture. The 5th edition of the Gare aux Docs open-air film festival takes place from 16 to 27 August 2022. On the programme: a dozen documentary films with strong and committed themes - nature, humanity, sharing, ecological and solidarity transition - screened free of charge.
On the tarmac of the Air and Space Museum, a stone's throw from the Ariane rockets, four films are being shown this summer (two in July and two in August) in the open air. The evening begins at 6pm with a series of activities and entertainment offered by the museum. Then, at nightfall, between 9pm and 10pm, you can sit back and enjoy the film.
Other venues in Paris and the Ile-de-France offer open-air cinema sessions. This is the case of the Paradiso hotel and its Sunday evening open-air screenings on its rooftop, until September. In the green courtyard of the Plaza Athénée palace, chef Jean Imbert has imagined an open-air cinema experience around a gastronomic dinner, for a handful of dates at the end of June and beginning of July. The Cinéma sur le toit x Sofilm also returns this summer to the bubble bar on the roof of the Machine du Moulin Rouge, in the Montmartre district. It takes place every Wednesday during the summer and is free (reservation required). The Paradiso Louvre open-air film festival takes place in an exceptional setting: the cour carrée of the Louvre Museum. Some dates in mid-July. As part of its Été en Seine, the Seine Musicale is offering three exceptional evenings with its Cinéclub Paradiso: an open-air film screening preceded by a large concert on the forecourt. For an open-air film screening in an unusual medieval setting, head to the courtyard of the Château de Vincennes for the festival Une toile sous les étoiles from 25 to 27 August 2022.
The banks of the Seine are hosting the open-air film festival Dolcevita-sur-Seine, on the Quai des Célestins, to mark the opening of Paris Plages. From 9 to 13 July 2022, the festival celebrates the twinning, friendship and artistic links between Paris and Rome. Alongside masterpieces of Italian cinema screened outdoors on the banks of the Seine, the festival programme includes theatrical screenings (at the Écoles Cinéma Club and the Paris - Christine Cinéma Club), a photo exhibition, theatre and music. In Rome, classic French films are being screened on the banks of the Tiber.
Several pretty cities (Nogent-sur-Marne, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés ...) of Val-de-Marne schedule open-air cinema sessions in a rural setting and easily accessible from the capital. All the info on the Val-de-Marne Tourisme & Loisirs website.
Finally, the Branche et Ciné open-air film festival is also back. On the programme: an original screening in the heart of a forest! The festival takes place in Normandy, Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France. Among the screening locations around Paris, there are several spots in the forest of Fontainebleau, the forest of Meudon and the Domaine de Villarceaux. From late June to mid-July.
