The first edition of Cinema for Space will be held from tomorrow, Thursday, November 27, until Saturday at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Supported by the Space Foundation chaired by Thomas Pesquet, the festival aims to create a dialogue between cinema, science, and space exploration. The event will offer three days of screenings, meetings, and debates.
Cinema for Space is based on a firm belief. “Better understanding space is better protecting Earth.” This is how the organizers summarize the spirit of the festival. They remind us that films, like space advancements, shape the ways we see the world. They aim to gather researchers, creators, and the public around these questions.
The festival is built with the Space Foundation. Its representative, Laurence Monnoyer-Smith, emphasizes the citizen dimension of the project. “Gathering around the passion for space and putting space missions at the service of the common good: these are the goals of the Space Foundation, launched in 2025.” She also stresses the role of science in understanding the world: “Every satellite observation, every technological innovation, every mission fosters the same conviction: space science only makes sense if it serves humanity.”
These words set the framework of the festival. The event aims to be a place of exchange linking disciplines that rarely intersect. Cinema brings stories. Research provides data. Together, these two fields illuminate scientific, cultural, and environmental questions.
The program will highlight works that question the place of humans in the universe, the relationship with technology, or the effects of space observation on the understanding of Earth. Screenings will be followed by debates. The organizers want to offer a space accessible to the public, without barriers between professionals and spectators.
Marc Obéron: “Awakening Curiosity”
The festival will welcome many personalities. Claudie Haigneré, Vahina Giocante, François Sarano, Nicolas Giraud, Jacques Cluzaud, Camille Moulonguet, Christophe Rossignon, Ines Belgacem, Caroline Freissinet, and Pierre Omaly will speak over the three days. Their presence illustrates the diversity of approaches: cinema, science, engineering, environment, and audiovisual production.
The organizers explain wanting to promote transmission: “Our mission is simple: make space accessible to everyone, without needing to wear a suit or board a rocket.” They also emphasize the concrete role of space in daily life, especially for Earth observation, weather, communication, or health.
The program will include fiction, documentaries, and experimental works. The debates will cover several topics: the role of women in space, diversity in narratives, issues related to space debris, or the use of satellite data to understand ecosystem evolution.
A youth section will complement these proposals. Work carried out over two years with French animation schools will accompany this approach. The goal is clear: encourage new writing and stimulate imagination related to scientific and space exploration.
The festival also aims to raise awareness of environmental issues. Marc Obéron, president and founder of the Cinema for Space festival wishes: “to awaken curiosity, spark debate and remind that space is not a territory to conquer, but a horizon to understand, with humility and responsibility.”
Several films will remind of the importance of the role of satellites in understanding the oceans, the atmosphere, or the fragility of natural environments. Other works will question the boundary between scientific reality and fiction, especially around unexplained phenomena, first contacts, or stories inspired by real events.
This first edition aims to establish a lasting appointment with an open approach. This festival is becoming a bridge between science and storytelling: “exploring space is learning to better protect Earth.”
Cannes will offer a symbolic setting, that of the Palais des Festivals to host this dialogue between artistic and scientific perspectives. For three days, Cinema for Space will invite the public to explore the links between imagination, knowledge, and space exploration.
