Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information (Public Information Library) in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers. The screenings take place at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and in several movie theaters partners of the festival.

The 33rd edition of Cinéma du réel will take place from March 24 to April 5, 2011.

Foundation

The founders of the festival were Jean-Michel Arnold

Jean-Michel Arnold

Jean-Michel Arnold, General Secretary of the Cinémathèque Française, vice President of UNESCO’s IFTC , founder of the Cinéma du Réel, Director of CNRS Image/Media, General Secretary of RIAVS, and President of CAMERA. Without being a filmmaker, Mr...

 and Jean Rouch

Jean Rouch

Jean Rouch was a French filmmaker and anthropologist.He is considered to be one of the founders of the cinéma vérité in France, which shared the aesthetics of the direct cinema spearheaded by Richard Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker and Albert and David Maysles...

  and the first festival was held in 1978.

Purpose

The Cinéma du Réel has developed into one of the major documentary film festivals

Documentary film festivals

Documentary film festivals are film festivals devoted solely to documentary film, which is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality....

where a public of 17,000 view hundreds of documentaries by established professionals and newcomers. It also includes workshops seminars and a retrospective program highlighting the best of documentary cinema history.

Prizes

• Grand Prize of the Cinéma du Réel, €8000.
• The Library Award (Prix des Bibliotheques), €6000.
• Scam International Prize, €4600.
• Louis Marcorelles Award (given by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs for English and Spanish subtitling, DVD publishing and financing a foreign mission)
• Short Film Prize, €2500.
• The Young Jury Award, €2500.
• Joris Ivens Award for a first film, €2500.
• Heritage Award, for a film whose subject matter involves France, €2500.
• Pierre and Yolande Perrault Grant awarded to a young filmmaker, €2500