Women’s sport is in the spotlight at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille with three days of screenings – 01/21/2025

Who said sport was just for guys? From locker rooms to podiums, sportswomen have always had to fight to make their voices heard and show that they are just as legitimate on the field. Between clichés and lack of visibility in the media, they have seen all the colors. Of January 23 to 25the Les Sportives en Lumière festival arrives at Palace of Fine Arts Lille to set the record straight.

Carried by the Alice Milliat Foundation (the first foundation dedicated to supporting women’s sport) the event offers three days of screenings of documentaries dedicated to the place of women in sport.

This foundation, named after the first woman who worked to ensure that women could participate in the Olympic Games, initially launched this festival in Paris before moving it to several cities in France. For Lille, it is the association Ladies are Just Amazing (LJA) who is in charge of the organization.

Screenings and round tables on the program

During these three days, 10 documentary films, 3 short films and 4 series will be broadcast in the projection room in the basement of the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Each session will be followed by a time for discussion with the production teams.

In each project, different themes will be addressed, such as the place of women in sport obviously, but also in thepublic spacelike from motherhood in sportTHE violence suffered by sportswomenas well as portraits of women inspiring. To find out which film is showing on which day and at what time, we let you take a look at the program which is in the practical information.

In parallel with the projections, round tables will take place on Thursday and Friday evenings, hosted by high-level athletes, journalists and sociologists. These discussions will focus, for example, on the media coverage of women’s sport and the representation of women in this area.

Prize giving

On Saturday afternoon, eight prizes will be awarded by a jury made up of personalities from sport and culture, including Shannon Izarinternational rugby player, Gabriel Bernasconi of the CNOSF, Claire Smagghejournalist at La Voix du Nord, Laurene Rolland-Bertrand of the National Sports Museum, Eric Mistler, Nathalie Niedzwialowska, Philippe Pettini of Banque Palatine, Virginie Lamotte of the National Sports Agency and Marion Choueib by Famosport.

Free access

Access to the festival is free, which means that everyone can attend for free or can donate a little to support the LJA association and the Alice Milliat foundation. We have put ticketing in the practical information, so your place is still reserved. It is possible to reserve several tickets for different broadcast slots.