Nearly 20,000 people are expected from November 13 to 19 to attend the largest adventure film festival in France. Among the films presented at this 14th edition, the world of diving holds a special place.
With 45 films (including 17 in competition) shown across three sites, conferences and literary meetings, this busy week will honor the greatest adventurers and explorers of our time. The jury, presided over by climber and writer Stéphanie Bodet, will award 5 prizes to the selected films: the grand prize of the festival, the grand adventure prize, the jury’s favorite, the special environment prize, and the special mountain prize. In addition to these prizes, there are 4 other awards: one awarded by a female jury to a female adventurer, two presented by the public, and the last by a jury of middle school students.
A retrospective on Laurent Ballesta
Diving will notably be represented by the biologist and underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta at the opening and closing of the festival. An exceptional retrospective retracing his explorations will be presented to the public on Tuesday, November 14 with three screenings: The Tears of the Crocodiles by Luc Marescot (2011), Coelacanth, Dive into Our Origins by Gil Kebaïli (2013) and The Grouper Mystery by Gil Kebaïli (Grand Prix of the Festival in 2015).
Laurent Ballesta will also be present after the screening of Jérôme Bouvier’s film Antarctica, In Search of the Emperor, in competition this year. Finally, he will present his latest book Adélie, featuring sublime photographs created jointly with photographer Vincent Munier in the bookstore area of the show.
Another event to note on the book side: on the occasion of the release of his book 100 Years of Exploration, published by Glénat, Christian Clos will lead a discussion on the theme: is exploration still useful? He will be accompanied by Stéphane Dugast and Olivier Archambeau, all three members of the SEF (French Explorers Society). This book features explorations that have made history, including the adventures of Commander Cousteau, the first abyssal expeditions, and more recently, the exploits of Tara and Under the Pole.
From Jacques Mayol to Under the Pole
Nearly 30 years after the release of the film The Big Blue, inspired by the life of the famous freediver Jacques Mayol, the film Dolphin Man revisits the journey of this sea lover, the first man to reach 100 meters depth in freediving. The film will be screened on Friday, November 17 at 9:15 PM in the Auditorium of the Encan space.
Finally, part of theUnder the Pole IIIteam will be present on Saturday, November 18 at 1 PM in the dark room of the maritime museum. On the agenda: a slideshow presentation of photos, videos, and film excerpts followed by a discussion with Emmanuelle Périé and Ghislain Bardout, the two adventurers behind this expedition.
Find the full festival program and the option to book your seatici.
Margot Harty