The Essential Repertory Cinemas of Paris
Paris is not a museum of cinema. It is a city where films remain alive — where a 70 mm print of Nolan's Interstellar plays at the same time as a restored 35 mm Louise Brooks at the Cinémathèque, where a Georgian-language film from 2024 screens three blocks from a Hitchcock retrospective. The density is extraordinary, but the experience depends on knowing where to go.
This guide covers the repertory and heritage cinemas that define Paris cinema culture. They are the venues we return to, recommend to visitors and build our weekly selections around.
Le Champo
41 Rue des Écoles, 5e — Odéon / Maubert-Mutualité
A narrow, two-screen cinema tucked into the Latin Quarter. Le Champo has been a repertory fixture since 1938, known for its themed retrospectives and cycles. It screens classic and contemporary world cinema almost exclusively in original versions with French subtitles.
Recent programmes have included a Wim Wenders retrospective (Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas, Buena Vista Social Club), a Victor Erice double bill and a week of Japanese cinema from the 1950s–60s. There are evening Q&As and occasional 35 mm presentations.
Its audience is knowledgeable, and the programming assumes curiosity. If you see something on the Champo schedule that interests you, trust it.
Scanning note: The official public booking page contains the full current programme with language labels (VOSTF, VERSION_ORIGINALE). The PDF programme (published irregularly) adds context but is not necessary for planning a visit.
Le Grand Action
5 Rue des Écoles, 5e — Cardinal Lemoine / Jussieu
Le Grand Action shares the Latin Quarter with Le Champo but has a different personality. A larger single-screen room plus two smaller auditoria, it programmes recent independent and auteur cinema alongside themed retrospectives. It is one of the few Paris venues where you can reliably find Georgian, Iranian or Filipino cinema on a Wednesday evening.
The venue has a strong relationship with contemporary directors — Alexandre Koberidze's films have had extended runs here, and the programming often includes presentations by the filmmakers or specialists.
For the visitor: Le Grand Action is where you go for a film that has no obvious commercial home elsewhere in Paris. If the film you want to see is playing here, the screening is almost certainly intentional and well-contextualised.
La Cinémathèque Française
51 Rue de Bercy, 12e — Bercy
The Cinémathèque is both a museum of cinema and a working cinema with three screening rooms. Its programme leans heavily on retrospectives, restorations and thematic cycles tied to its collection. It is the most institutionally authoritative venue in Paris, and its screenings often include introductions, restored prints and rare formats (35 mm, discussion events, live musical accompaniment for silent films).
The venue is currently closed for renovation and reopens in mid-September 2026. The opening programme includes a major Louise Brooks retrospective with restored DCPs and rare 35 mm prints from international archives, a Renoir series (The Rules of the Game), and a selection of classic noir and melodrama.
Note for planning: After reopening, check the Cinémathèque programme first for restorations and rare prints. Its screenings are often the most carefully prepared in Paris.
Saint-André des Arts
30 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 6e — Odéon / Saint-Michel
A small two-screen cinema in the heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood. Saint-André des Arts programmes a mix of repertory classics, recent independent releases and themed double bills. It is known for its David Lynch retrospectives (most recently Inland Empire, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead playing concurrently), its commitment to original versions and its late-night screenings.
The programming feels personal and idiosyncratic — you might find a B-movie double bill one evening and a Kiarostami the next. This is not a venue for blockbusters. It is a venue for discovery.
For the visitor: The language labels are reliable (VERSION_ORIGINALE), but the subtitle language (English vs. French) is not always published. If your English subtitles are essential, check the booking page for details or choose a screening explicitly labelled with your language.
Studio des Ursulines
10 Rue des Ursulines, 5e — Luxembourg / Cardinal Lemoine
A single-screen cinema in a small, intimate room — one of the oldest surviving cinemas in Paris (opened 1926). The Studio des Ursulines programmes a thoughtful mix of repertory classics, animated films, children's screenings and special events.
Its collaboration with Lost in Frenchlation (screenings of French films with English subtitles) makes it one of the most accessible venues for English-speaking visitors. Recent examples include a restored 4K presentation of Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (VF with English subtitles) and Gints Zilbalodis's Flow (dialogue-free, suitable for all audiences).
Scanning note: The schedule is published weekly via the SCARE feed. The Lost in Frenchlation events are announced separately and are worth tracking.
Le Louxor — Palais du Cinéma
170 Boulevard de Magenta, 10e — Barbès-Rochechouart / Gare de l'Est
A beautifully restored Egyptian Revival cinema from 1921, the Louxor is worth visiting for the building alone — the main auditorium is a painted temple interior with a vaulted ceiling and balcony. It programmes a mix of first-run, repertory and event screenings (including the "Enfants du Cinéma" series and director Q&As).
The programming tends towards accessible arthouse and international cinema. The venue also screens in its smaller basement auditorium.
For the visitor: The Louxor is less central than the Latin Quarter cinemas but is well served by transport. A screening here can be combined with a visit to the nearby Gare du Nord neighbourhood, Montmartre or the Canal Saint-Martin.
Le Balzac
1 Rue Balzac, 8e — George V / Charles de Gaulle – Étoile
A three-screen cinema in the 8th arrondissement, Le Balzac programmes first-run auteur films and selected repertory. Its location makes it a practical choice for visitors based on the Right Bank or near the Champs-Élysées. The programming is less eccentric than Saint-André des Arts or Le Champo, but the quality is consistent and the VOSTF labels are reliable.
Christine Cinéma Club
4 Rue Christine, 6e — Odéon / Saint-Michel
Christine Cinéma Club is a two-screen cinema in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, known for its varied repertory programme — a single week might include Wong Kar-wai, Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, De Palma, Malick and Hitchcock. The programming leans heavily on American and international classics, almost always in original version.
For the visitor: Christine is a reliable destination for a classic film in English. The venue is small, the seats fill quickly, and the programming is published on its own schedule (often a few days in advance). If you see a title you want, book ahead.
L'Entrepôt
7 Rue Francis de Pressensé, 14e — Pernety
A cultural centre (art gallery, café, restaurant) with a cinema in the 14th. L'Entrepôt programmes a thoughtful mix of recent international releases, repertory and documentary. Its screening room is modern and comfortable, and the café makes it a viable evening destination in a less touristy neighbourhood.
Le Reflet Médicis
3 Rue Champollion, 5e — Cluny-La Sorbonne / Maubert-Mutualité
A Latin Quarter basement cinema on the same small square as Le Champo. Reflet Médicis has a reputation for demanding, intellectually rigorous programming — experimental, documentary, politically engaged cinema. It is a venue for the committed cinephile rather than the casual visitor.
The Dulac group recently added scheduled screenings here, expanding access but not changing the programming character.
La Filmothèque du Quartier Latin
9 Rue Champollion, 5e — Cluny-La Sorbonne / Maubert-Mutualité
La Filmothèque is the third cinema on Rue Champollion (alongside Le Champo and Reflet Médicis) and the most format-conscious. It regularly programmes 3D screenings (Godard's Adieu au langage 3D, Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder 3D), 4K restorations and thematic retrospectives.
Its summer 2026 programme features a 90-film noir retrospective running from late July through August, including Vertigo, Rear Window, Double Indemnity, The Killing, The Godfather, Fargo, Zodiac, Memories of Murder and many more. This is the single most significant classic-film event in Paris this summer.
Scanning note: The Filmothèque publishes its full programme through a public booking selector, but there is no stable feed. We track its programme manually and update bounded event pages. Check the official website before making plans.
Le Grand Rex
1 Boulevard Poissonnière, 2e — Bonne-Nouvelle
The Grand Rex is the largest cinema in Europe (2 750 seats in the Grande Salle) and an Art Deco landmark from 1932. It programmes a mix of first-run mainstream, special events and the occasional 70 mm presentation.
The 70 mm experience: The Grande Salle is equipped for 70 mm projection. When a film is presented in 70 mm here (currently Interstellar in VOST-FR), it is a genuinely exceptional cinema experience — one of the few remaining 70 mm venues in regular operation.
For the visitor: The Grand Rex is a destination for the spectacle of cinema, not for intimate repertory. Go for the building, the format and the scale. Check the official programme for upcoming 70 mm sessions.
Écoles Cinéma Club
23 Rue des Écoles, 5e — Maubert-Mutualité / Cardinal Lemoine
A smaller sibling of Christine Cinéma Club on the same street, Écoles programmes a similar mix of repertory classics and recent independent releases. Smaller auditorium, same curatorial sensibility — American and international classics, VOST, reliable.
Practical note: language labels
Paris cinemas use a standard set of abbreviations:
- VO — Version Originale (original language, usually with French subtitles)
- VOSTF — Version Originale Sous-Titrée en Français (original language with French subtitles — the most common label)
- VF — Version Française (dubbed in French)
- VERSION_ORIGINALE or VO alone — original language, subtitles not guaranteed to be French or present at all
- VOST — Version Originale Sous-Titrée (subtitled, but subtitle language often unspecified)
For English-speaking visitors: Look for Lost in Frenchlation events (French films with English subtitles), dialogue-free films (animation, some experimental), or English-language originals screened in VO/VOSTF (you can follow the French subtitles for quiet passages or let the image carry the meaning). If English subtitles are essential, check the booking page details or contact the venue.
This guide was prepared by Curating Paris. It reflects the venues we know best and return to most often. We will update it as the programme coverage expands and as venues respond to our partnership requests.