The Planches Contact photography festival is celebrating its 16th edition in 2025, having transformed the French coastal town of Deauville into a premier destination for both photography and cinema. Mayor Philippe Augier recently discussed the festival's origins, evolution, and future in an extensive interview, highlighting how the event has created a unique cultural ecosystem that produces contemporary photographic works while preserving the city's rich visual heritage.
The festival's inception in 2010 emerged from Augier's realization of a significant cultural gap when he became mayor in 2001. "I realized that Deauville had been photographed by the greatest names since the very birth of photography," Augier explained. "As early as the 1860s, Eugène Villette was already photographing the villas under construction. And yet, the city owned virtually no archives: no images, no recognition of its history through photography." This discovery prompted him to begin acquiring historical photographs and organizing exhibitions on the boardwalk featuring works by major figures such as Jacques-Henri Lartigue and the Seeberger brothers.
Recognizing that preserving the past wasn't sufficient, Augier felt compelled to foster contemporary image creation as well. Planches Contact was launched in 2010 to commemorate Deauville's 150th anniversary with a distinctive concept: exhibitions shown to the public are produced directly on the territory itself, with the exception of one major annual retrospective. Nearly twenty exhibitions, both indoors and outdoors, are presented throughout the city, creating an immersive photographic experience for visitors.
The festival's on-site creation approach, now supported by residencies at Villa Namouna, remains central to its identity. Initially, residencies took place only in Deauville, but they have since expanded to encompass the entire Normandy region, from coastal areas to inland locations. The festival also established the Emerging Talent Award, originally targeting students from major European art schools, though selection is now made through an application process that received approximately 300 submissions this year.
The residency program operates on a clear principle that benefits both artists and the city's cultural development. "We pay the artists, we produce their exhibition, the prints and the framing," Augier detailed. "In return, they leave us a number of works at the end of their residency." This arrangement has enabled Deauville to build an exceptional museum-level photographic collection containing more than 2,000 works. Notable photographers such as Kishin Shinoyama, Larry Fink, Paolo Roversi, Charles Fréger, and Harry Gruyaert have all contributed significantly to this growing heritage collection.
The festival's artistic direction was initially shaped by photographer Bettina Rheims, who served as an advisor to Augier, and Patrick Rémy, the festival's first artistic director. This foundation helped establish the event's commitment to hosting both established photographers and emerging talents in residency programs that foster creative exchange and community building.
Central to Deauville's cultural transformation is Les Franciscaines, a comprehensive cultural center inaugurated in 2021. The facility emerged from Augier's personal commitment to making culture accessible to everyone, rooted in his own background. "I come from a very modest family in which culture had no place," he shared. "I always promised myself that if I ever had the means to take action, I would make culture accessible to everyone." Originally conceived as a media library with a performance hall, the project was halted by the 2008 financial crisis, though acquisitions had already begun.
The eventual purchase of the Franciscaines site provided an opportunity to realize a more ambitious vision. Augier brought together the entire cultural offering—museum, media library, auditorium, fablab, and digital museum—ensuring transversal functionality. Today, visitors move freely between books, exhibitions, screenings, and social spaces in what Augier describes as "a truly open cultural home." Everything is free, including children's programs, except for major exhibitions.
New artistic directors Lionel Charrier and Jonas Tebib have assumed leadership of the festival with specific guidance from Augier: "invent, but respect the festival's DNA." They have introduced innovative elements including thematic programming, with this year's festival built around the concept of "Intimacies." Their contributions include creating a residency awarded to the winner of the Emerging Creation Prize, which in 2025 will feature an exhibition at the InCadaqués festival and a residency at Villa Pérochon, the Centre for Contemporary Photographic Art in Niort. They have also commissioned projects such as Myriam Boulos's work in Beirut while maintaining the festival's commitment to artistic commissions.
Augier emphasizes the importance of creating vibrant community experiences around the festival. This year's Saturday night party at Les Franciscaines exemplified this approach, with bleachers removed and the venue transformed into a festive space until 3:30 in the morning, bringing together photographers, journalists, and institutional leaders. The festival has also developed portfolio reviews that take place directly at Villa Namouna, where invited photographers stay, creating what Augier describes as "a family-like atmosphere that is very stimulating for young artists."
The 2025 Planches Contact festival is scheduled to run from October 18, 2025, through January 4, 2026, continuing its mission to blend historical preservation with contemporary creation while fostering an inclusive cultural community in Deauville.
