FROM MARCH 30 TO APRIL 01, 2025
the festival
From April 3 to 5, the 1st DEAUVILLE SPORT DOC FESTIVAL took place at the CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE DEAUVILLE (CID). THE PUBLIC WAS TREATED TO A DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION, ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSIONS AND MASTER-CLASSES ON THEMES THAT ARE SHAKING UP SOCIETY.
A Festival entirely dedicated to documentaries that show with talent and emotion what sport offers society. The winners of this 1st edition of the Festival exuded resilience, team spirit, effort, hard work, failure and success, eco-responsibility...and love! Life stories, more than lessons, that we'll be sharing with you again in the presence of their protagonists in 2025 at the CID in Deauville.
SAVE THE DATE!
A CITY OF DEAUVILLE
A mecca for sports, culture, cinema and the media, the seaside resort in the Calvados department is also one of the Normandy region's leading tourist attractions.
Located two hours from Paris and one hour from the D-Day landing beaches (DDay June 6, 1944), Deauville is served by an airport, a train station and the A13 freeway.
Every year, Deauville plays host to such not-to-be-missed events as the American Film Festival (50 candles in 2024), the Lacoste Ladies Open de France (golf), the Deauville Normandie Triathlon and numerous international equestrian and tennis events.
One of the first five towns to be awarded the "Sustainable Innovative Destination" label, Deauville once again climbs to the top of the podium in the annual ranking of "France's most popular small towns" in 2024.
A BOOMING MARKET
The universality of sport - the only activity that both decompartmentalizes societies and brings together audiences from all horizons - its stars and global events, and the depth of its dramaturgy and stories, are formidable gas pedals of the growth of the sports documentary.
This audiovisual genre is booming because it is a medium that promotes the values of sport through stories and testimonials that move our society forward. Audiences are enthusiastic about this new form of entertainment, which generates emotion and sharing, and is becoming an increasingly important part of the programming schedules of sports broadcasters around the world, as well as on platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and AppleTV, and on general-interest channels.That's why the DEAUVILLE SPORT DOC FESTIVAL is supported by partners who are convinced of the need to promote sports documentaries as cinematic works in their own right.
There's one place where athletes and filmmakers meet: on the road, off the pitch and away from the competition. At the Deauville Sport Doc Festival, we highlighted and celebrated this encounter" declares Stéphane Meunier, President of the 2024 Edition Jury.
AN INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
Sport knows no boundaries. It shatters differences of gender, religion and opinion. It travels and makes people travel. The vocation of sports documentaries, and of this Festival in particular, which is a world "premiere", is to present and reveal talents from all over the world, stories which, like sport, project us into universes we are only just discovering, but which touch each and every one of us at the deepest level. The themes of disability, parity, diversity, teamwork, resilience and performance are common to all civilizations and peoples, but are treated differently on different sides of the globe.
DEAUVILLE SPORT DOC FESTIVAL, by unveiling true stories from near and far, helps to forge closer links between a world that is discovering and marvelling at the exploits, nature and values of extraordinary personalities.
Thanks to the universality of sport and the international appeal and variety of the content on offer, the DEAUVILLE SPORT DOC FESTIVAL attracts audiences from all over the world, and aims to establish itself as the undisputed annual international sports documentary event.
SPORT AT THE SERVICE OF SOCIETY
The societal virtues of sport and the important role played by its role models in all areas of life both contribute to putting sport back "at the center of the field" for society. The educational and pedagogical dimension of sports documentaries is also a tremendous opportunity for the entire ecosystem of sport, health and culture to attract audiences to entertainment and well-being. Sports documentaries, which are becoming increasingly popular with audiences that go far beyond sports fans alone, are a source of inspiration and education, as well as a means of disseminating strong societal messages.
The "invisible" in the media - ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and women - are the actors in the evolution of a society in search of greater fairness, equality and diversity, and respect for differences.
DEAUVILLE SPORT DOC FESTIVAL showcases the diversity and eco-responsibility of those involved in sport (champions, clubs, federations, events). Because sport is the best ally for change, and the talent of directors and producers of sports documentaries is the best way to disseminate the values of sport.
A WORD FROM
ROLAND GISCARD D'ESTAING,
Creator of the Deauville Sport Doc Festival
"Inspired by the recent worldwide success of documentaries and docu-series, and by the multiplication of audiovisual formats around sport, this festival was an obvious choice. The educational and pedagogical power of sport is well established. This is why the Deauville Sport Doc Festival is part of a dynamic that aims to make sport a gas pedal of social progress.
A WORD FROM
Philippe Augier,
Mayor of Deauville
Mayor of Deauville
" I'm delighted that the first Sports Documentary Festival has chosen to make Deauville its permanent home. The Deauville Sports Documentary Festival is a new opportunity for the town to demonstrate its dynamism. That ofa city open to the world, at the forefront of culture, sport and the media. We are making sport a priority for the town, as it is today a place where central values are transmitted."
