The Paca region confirms its importance in the French audiovisual sector with over 5,200 days of shooting hosted every year. Present at the Cannes regional stand, Caroline Julliard (attractiveness department of the National Cinema Center, CNC) explains that “filming activity in France has decreased by 13% between 2024 and 2025, due in particular to the decline in investments and international fictions. The Paca region is more resistant, with a limited decrease of 3%, and retains its position as the second French region in terms of shooting days, driven in particular by the growing dynamism of audiovisual fiction productions.”
Films Shot in the Southern Alps soon on Screens
Among the upcoming releases is the feature film “Demande à la montagne” (formerly “Et après”), produced by Barberousse Films and shot in La Grave during the summer of 2025. The first film by director Pierre Menahem, this story between disappearance and love in high altitude brings together Julien de Saint-Jean, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Sarah Suco, and Emmanuelle Béart.
Another highly anticipated production is the fiction “Impossible”, directed by Emmanuel Finkiel for Arte. Shot between Gap, Rabou, Valgaudemar, and La Grave, this project, featuring Swann Arlaud, explores the alpine landscapes as a true cinema territory. The film will be presented at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival next September before airing on Arte.
Alex Hugo Returns to the Alps
The summer of 2026 will see the return of the series “Alex Hugo” to the roads of Briançon and the Écrins. Samuel Le Bihan will once again rediscover the mountain landscapes in the role of Commander Alex Hugo, accompanied by Mikaël Fitoussi (Renart), Fabien Baïardi (Tony Leblanc), and Aude Candela (the prosecutor). Three new episodes produced for France Télévisions will be shot between June and October. Episodes 36 and 37, “À mains nues” and “Comme un frère”, directed by Thierry Petit, will engage the teams for nearly forty days of shooting in the heart of the high-alpine valleys. A third episode, “Seul contre tous”, directed by Sylvie Ayme, will follow in the fall. Episodes shot in 2025, especially “La chute d’Icare” and “La vallée des oubliées”, will soon be broadcast on France 3.
Another project currently in filming in the Hautes-Alpes is the documentary “Echoes of Céüse”, produced by Air Libre Prod and directed by Benoît Regord. Highly anticipated in the climbing world, the film sheds light on the iconic cliffs of Céüse and the universe surrounding this global climbing mecca.
New Projects in Location Scouting
Several cinema projects are currently in the location scouting or preparation phase for the coming months in the Southern Alps. American director Sam Kuhn is considering filming parts of his upcoming feature film “In Blue” (Solab Films) in the Hautes-Alpes. Location scouting is planned for this summer in preparation for a shoot scheduled for September. Another project being developed is the British feature film “In the Edge of Darkness”, which is planning several sequences in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Regarding short films, two shoots are announced as early as June: “Rigodons” by Joris Leguidar in Champsaur, and “Les moutons ne dorment plus” by Alice Rebourg in Dévoluy. Other fiction productions have also initiated set searches with the Southern Alps Filming Office, pending decisions related to regional aid funds.
