This year, the Belley Mountain Heritage Film Festival falls on the same day as International Women's Rights Day, so the theme for 2026 is naturally ‘Women and Mountains’.
Two female mountain film directors will be honoured: Paola Nessi, guest of this fourth edition, who will present her films MIRELLA D'ART ET DE MONTAGNE, McKINLEY 1961, HISTOIRE D'UNE AMITIÉ and KIBO HUT, and Eliza Kubarska, a Polish filmmaker whose latest film L'ULTIME ASCENSION, a real cinematic event of the year, will be presented in the evening. The film TRANSITION VERTICALE, featuring climbing champion Natalie Berry, will be presented by the Ain Roc association.
As every year, the programme is largely international, with films from the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland that will take us to Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland, the Grigna massif in Italy and Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas, the third highest peak in the world, alongside some of the biggest names in climbing and mountaineering.
As in previous years, you will be welcomed in the morning with coffee. At lunchtime, a tartiflette meal will be served, and in the evening, cocktails will be served.
This year, there will be a new feature: an exhibition of paintings by artist Vicky P.Art dedicated to the mountains, which will also be followed by a private viewing in the middle of the afternoon.
The day's programme:
10:00 am: Welcome to festival-goers – coffee – Opening of the exhibition of paintings by artist Vicky P.Art.
10:45 am: Opening of the festival and tribute to Henriette d'Angeville, a native of Bugey and the first woman to climb Mont Blanc on her own, by the President of the Belley Film Society, followed by the film MIRELLA D'ART ET DE MONTAGNE by Paola Nessi.
Film duration: 50 minutes – Presentation and discussion with director Paola Nessi.
12:30 p.m.: Lunch (tartiflette)
2:00 p.m.: Film TRANSITION VERTICALE by Chris Prescott and Paul Diffley – Duration 0h55 - Presentation and discussion with the Ain Roc de Belley association, followed by a presentation of the painter's work at the end of the session.
3:30 p.m.: Opening of the mountain painting exhibition in the main hall of the Sweet Home hotel, opposite the cinema.
4:30 p.m.: Screening of two films by Paola Nessi: FROM MOUNT McKINLEY TO KILIMANJARO. Total duration 54 minutes – Presentation and discussion with director Paola Nessi followed by the award ceremony for the guest.
6:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception
7:30 p.m.: Screening of THE ULTIMATE ASCENT by Eliza Kubarska – Running time 1 hour 26 minutes – Presented by Jean-Philippe Guigou
9:00 p.m.: Closing of the festival
As every year, the programme is largely international, with films from the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland that will take us to Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland, the Grigna massif in Italy and Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas, the third highest peak in the world, alongside some of the biggest names in climbing and mountaineering.
As in previous years, you will be welcomed in the morning with coffee. At lunchtime, a tartiflette meal will be served, and in the evening, cocktails will be served.
This year, there will be a new feature: an exhibition of paintings by artist Vicky P.Art dedicated to the mountains, which will also be followed by a private viewing in the middle of the afternoon.
The day's programme:
10:00 am: Welcome to festival-goers – coffee – Opening of the exhibition of paintings by artist Vicky P.Art.
10:45 am: Opening of the festival and tribute to Henriette d'Angeville, a native of Bugey and the first woman to climb Mont Blanc on her own, by the President of the Belley Film Society, followed by the film MIRELLA D'ART ET DE MONTAGNE by Paola Nessi.
Film duration: 50 minutes – Presentation and discussion with director Paola Nessi.
12:30 p.m.: Lunch (tartiflette)
2:00 p.m.: Film TRANSITION VERTICALE by Chris Prescott and Paul Diffley – Duration 0h55 - Presentation and discussion with the Ain Roc de Belley association, followed by a presentation of the painter's work at the end of the session.
3:30 p.m.: Opening of the mountain painting exhibition in the main hall of the Sweet Home hotel, opposite the cinema.
4:30 p.m.: Screening of two films by Paola Nessi: FROM MOUNT McKINLEY TO KILIMANJARO. Total duration 54 minutes – Presentation and discussion with director Paola Nessi followed by the award ceremony for the guest.
6:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception
7:30 p.m.: Screening of THE ULTIMATE ASCENT by Eliza Kubarska – Running time 1 hour 26 minutes – Presented by Jean-Philippe Guigou
9:00 p.m.: Closing of the festival
