The RECIF Festival (Emerging Directors, International Cinema & Pacific Films) ushers in a new chapter for cinema in New Caledonia, while also engaging in regional cooperation across the Pacific.
From its very first edition in 2025, RECIF aims to broaden its horizons by opening its competition to Pacific short fiction films, alongside New Caledonian productions. By bringing together filmmakers and professionals from neighboring islands, the festival seeks to foster dialogue, collaboration, and the highlighting of each territory’s unique cultural identity.
This regional openness reflects a strong commitment to building lasting bridges between island film communities, promoting the circulation of works, expertise, and talent.
A festival looking to the future
RECIF also offers an international selection of first and second feature-length fiction films, showcasing the vitality of emerging cinema worldwide.
Conceived as an annual event, RECIF is rooted in a long-term vision. By placing emerging cinema at the heart of its editorial line, it aims to create connections between professionals, young talents, and audiences.
A festival on the move
The second edition of the festival will take place from 30 October to 21 November 2026.
Thanks to the support of its institutional partners, including local municipalities, the festival will host screenings across all three provinces of New Caledonia, both in theaters and outdoors, bringing cinema to the entire territory!
RECIF is back!
A new initiative has been created to support a young person in developing their film studies project: TALENT(S) OF TOMORROW
Information: tournages@province-sud.nc / delphine.ollier@recif.nc
For teachers:
-
The WRITE A FILM REVIEW program, based on three award-winning films from 2025.
Information: delphine.ollier@recif.nc -
A YOUTH SELECTION that can be screened during school sessions.
Information: manon.dejean@recif.nc
Competition registrations open on March 23:
-
PACIFIC SELECTION
-
ALWAYS SHORTER
-
YOUNG TALENTS
-
1 2 3 PITCH!
-
1 2 3 FILM!
Information: tournages@province-sud.nc / delphine.ollier@recif.nc
Registration is also open for the introductory workshops: 1 2 3 SHOOT!
Information: 123filmez@recif.nc
Find all the information in the corresponding sections: SELECTION (young audiences), COMPETITIONS, YOUNG AUDIENCES.
Inviting an artist to enrich the festival’s editorial line, where their imagination meets ours…
RECIF has chosen to award winners not with a traditional trophy, but with a unique work of art.
To give shape to this vision and distinguish the different festival categories, RECIF collaborated with Veronique Menet, whose artistic universe resonates with our initial inspirations.
Trained at the Olivier-de-Serres School of Applied Arts in Paris, Veronique Menet is a visual artist and landscape designer. She partly grew up in Poindimie and now lives in Noumea, where she maintains her studio. Her artistic language is guided by emotion and research. Both her installations and two-dimensional works explore a wide variety of techniques and materials, with a particular focus on botanical elements.
Through the motif of coral, RECIF aims to assert its Pacific identity and create a poetic parallel between the festival’s competition levels and the stages of polyp development : young talents are the sprouts, professionals are the fully grown branches…
To embody this living metaphor, the artist has designed a series of linocuts on textile, subtly enhanced with embroidery.
A trophy as an Offering
« Linocut is a handcrafted printing technique. The design is carved by hand into a linoleum plate, gouging out the areas that will not be printed. Ink is then applied to the raised surfaces with a roller, and the plate is pressed onto textile, revealing the image as a print.
Each print is unique and numbered, bearing the marks of the gesture and the time spent creating it.
Rolled like scrolls and tied with textile cords, these works evoke the traditional mats of our culture, carrying respect, recognition, and social connection.
To give a work of art is to give time, material, and emotion. It is to tell the winning artist: your work has left a mark, here is ours in return. » V. Menet
Linocut Exhibition at Maison Taragnat, Château Hagen:
- Wednesday 15, Saturday 18, and Wednesday 22 October – in the presence of a RECIF’s member (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
- Wednesday 29 October – in the presence of the artist (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
La Collectionneuse Exhibition at Château Hagen:
Discover at the same time Véronique Menet’s current exhibition, exploring intimacy and memory.
- Tuesday to Saturday : 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM until 13 December.)
The Song of RECIF : an original creation by I NU
For its first edition, RECIF wanted to mark its opening with an original musical creation, entrusted to the group I NU.
I NU, which means « coconut tree » in Drehu, is a musical duo born from the meeting of Hnawejë Canehmez, originally from Lifou, and Marianne Canehmez, from Normandy. Living in France at the time, their music began to take shape through encounters, travels, and a variety of artistic projects. I NU draws inspiration from traditional Kanak music while opening up to global influences such as bossa nova, blues, jazz, and reggae.
In 2015, they settled in New Caledonia. Their songwriting is a true collaboration, blending melody and poetry, supported by acoustic guitar and ukulele. They also write in several languages – French, English, and Drehu – which enhances the intercultural dimension of their songs.
Inspired by the festival’s editorial line, between ocean and image, memory and movement, the artists composed a song that reflects the spirit of this collective adventure.
This work, written especially for the event, weaves connections between the cultures and imaginations of the Pacific. It evokes the light of the islands, the diversity of perspectives, and the vitality of the creations that bring our region to life.
Performed for the first time during the opening evening, this song will become the musical identity of the festival.
Tjibaou Cultural Center (Ape Vila)
Friday, November 7
6:00 PM : Live performance (20 min)
7:00 PM : The Song of RECIF
PRESS REVIEW
RECIF FESTIVAL 2025 AWARDS: Announcement of the festival’s award winners.
Article dated December 12, 2025, available on the CINECITY website
https://cinecity.nc/films/palmares-festival-recif-2025
RECIF Festival: 4th graders dive into the world of cinema: Report on the festival’s visit to Ouvéa.
Article dated December 3, 2025, available on the website of the Vice-Rectorate of New Caledonia (Webouvea), Collège Shea Tiaou – Ouvéa
https://webouvea.ac-noumea.nc/spip.php?article543
RECIF Festival: the winners of this first edition
Article dated December 2, 2025, available on the Groupama-Gan.nc website
https://groupama-gan.nc/festival-recif-les-laureats-de-cette-premiere-edition/
CINEMA. The RECIF Festival presented its very first awards
Article dated November 14, 2025, available on the NC la 1ère France Info website
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/province-sud/noumea/cinema-le-festival-recif-a-decerne-ses-toutes-premieres-recompenses-1643539.html
RECIF Festival: Fiction in the spotlight: Article detailing the festival’s ambitions
Article dated November 14, 2025, available on the Caledonia NC website
https://www.caledonia.nc/actualite/festival-recif-la-fiction-en-lumiere
RECIF: the great journey of New Caledonian cinema across the country: Article on the opening of the festival at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre and its tour across municipalities
Article dated November 13, 2025, available on the Radio Cocotier website
https://radiococotier.nc/2025/11/13/recif-le-grand-voyage-du-cinema-caledonien-a-travers-le-pays/
The Tjibaou Cultural Centre hosted the second day of the RECIF Festival on Saturday, notably dedicated to Pacific short films.
An edition still discreet, but already driven by public curiosity.
Article dated November 10, 2025, available on the La Voix du Caillou website
https://voixducaillou.nc/2025/11/10/au-festival-recif-un-accueil-tres-chaleureux/
Damon Fepulea’i: “Showing my film to New Caledonians is an opportunity to learn more about your country”
Article dated November 8, 2025, on the NC la 1ère website
https://www.lnc.nc/article/nouvelle-caledonie/pacifique/nouvelle-zelande/culture/damon-fepulea-i-montrer-mon-film-aux-caledoniens-est-une-opportunite-d-en-apprendre-plus-sur-votre-pays
RECIF, a new breath of fresh air
Article dated October 31, 2025, available on the La Voix du Caillou website
https://voixducaillou.nc/2025/10/31/recif-un-souffle-nouveau/
10/24: Radio program “Listen to the Heartbeat of the Caillou” on NC la 1ère
Presentation of the 2025 edition, with Delphine-Ollier Vindin, Véronique Menet, and Florian Sagez.
Replay available at:
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/programme-audio/ecoutez-battre-le-cur-du-caillou-a4c03575-6462-465b-bcec-18f752da406e/
First edition of the RECIF Festival from November 7 to December 13, 2025: Announcement of support from Groupama Pacifique and festival dates.
Article dated October 18, 2025, available on the Groupama Gan New Caledonia website
https://groupama-gan.nc/premiere-edition-du-festival-recif-du-7-novembre-au-13-decembre-2025/
Cinema: the new RECIF Festival opens up to the Pacific
Article dated October 16, 2025, available on the LNC website
https://www.lnc.nc/article/nouvelle-caledonie/culture/cinema/cinema-le-nouveau-festival-recif-s-ouvre-sur-le-pacifique
The RECIF Festival takes over the Tjibaou Centre on November 7 and 8, before touring New Caledonia
Article dated October 16, 2025, available on NC la 1ère
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/province-sud/noumea/cinema-le-festival-recif-investit-le-centre-tjibaou-les-7-et-8-novembre-avant-d-arpenter-la-caledonie-1633295.html
Sacha Wolff, director of the film Mercenaire, considers shooting a feature film in New Caledonia
Article dated October 15, 2025, available on NC la 1ère
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/sacha-wolff-realisateur-du-film-mercenaire-envisage-de-tourner-un-long-metrage-en-caledonie-1633292.html
RECIF Film Festival: Information and participation guidelines for education professionals
Article dated June 27, 2025, available on the Vice-Rectorate of New Caledonia website
https://documentation.ac-noumea.nc/spip.php?article581
RECIF, the new New Caledonian film festival dedicated to Pacific films
Article dated June 1, 2025, available on the LNC website
https://www.lnc.nc/article/nouvelle-caledonie/culture/recif-le-nouveau-festival-caledonien-de-cinema-dedie-aux-films-du-pacifique
RECIF, a new film festival
Article dated May 29, 2025, available on the DNC website
https://www.dnc.nc/recif-un-nouveau-festival-de-cinema/
What you need to know about “RECIF”, the new cinema festival in New Caledonia
Article dated May 28, 2025, available on NC la 1ère
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/fictions-caledoniennes-et-du-pacifique-concours-ce-qu-il-faut-savoir-sur-recif-le-nouveau-festival-du-cinema-en-nouvelle-caledonie-1590600.html
