The brand new RN city hall of Carcassonne and the International Political Film Festival have officially ended their collaboration. The association has withdrawn its request for funding from the municipality, citing “the incompatibility of the festival’s values” with the far-right party. The location for the 9th edition of the festival is yet to be determined.
To make their position clear, the International Political Film Festival (FIFP) has decided to withdraw its funding request from the newly elected RN municipality of Carcassonne. This decision was made public on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The board of directors of the organizing association CinéBastide voted unanimously to take this action.
This decision was motivated by “the incompatibility of the values of tolerance, freedom, and inclusion promoted by the festival” with “the orientations of the National Rally,” and a refusal to contribute to “a normalization of the far right.”
Florent Ghisi, the 2nd deputy to Mayor Christophe Barthès, praised this situation, claiming that the festival has “no neutrality.” One might question the familiarity of the elected official, particularly responsible for youth and communication, with the festival, which covers a wide range of topics such as agriculture, social justice, war, democratic crises, and feminist struggles – values that are difficult to reconcile with the far-right.
The festival aims to “not seek any support, direct or indirect, from the new municipal majority.” While the municipal subsidies amounted to “only” €10,000, which is 5% of the event’s budget, finding screening venues in Carcassonne could prove to be a much more complex task.
Apart from the Dome and the Theater, both owned by the municipality and used for the festival’s programming, the Colisée, a CGR cinema, remains the only private venue in the city capable of hosting FIFP screenings. Accommodating 24,500 people, the attendance of the 2026 edition, is no small feat: “We are working to find ways to adapt. Obviously, to maintain our principle of independence, the festival will have to change its format,” explained Henzo Lefèvre, the general delegate.
While the festival is still scheduled to take place, the location for the International Political Film Festival is yet to be determined. Will it remain in Carcassonne or will it spread its culture to the outskirts of the city center?
