40 Free Documentaries Under the Stars This Summer
Cinéma sous les étoiles returns June 25–August 30 across 17 Montréal parks, with outdoor screenings plus filmmaker Q&As.
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Summer moviegoing just got free. Cinéma sous les étoiles, now in its 17th year, is spreading 40 outdoor documentary screenings across 17 parks throughout Montréal from June 25 through August 30, 2026.
The festival, produced by Funambules Médias, leans hard into documentary filmmaking with social conscience — everything from environmental collapse and colonialism to migration, feminism, technology, and labour. The lineup mixes Quebec productions with international titles.
Opening night lands June 25 at Parc Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier on the Plateau, with live music, local drinks, and the North American premiere of "Steal This Story, Please!"
A few highlights worth circling: "Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics" screens August 5 at Parc Westmount. "Wider Than the Sky," an artificial-intelligence documentary, lands July 7 at Parc du Pélican. "Rougemania," exploring colonialism's impact on First Nations, screens July 10 at Aréna Edgar Rouleau and again August 3 at Place Henri-Dunant. "Occupations," about student protest movements, airs July 1 at Parc Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier. "Baie James 1975: Le choc des nations," a Quebec production, screens August 7 at Centre de la nature.
Screenings spread across neighbourhoods including Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Ville-Marie, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and Sud-Ouest, so there's likely a park close by. Many screenings include filmmaker discussions and guest appearances.
The full schedule is at cinemasouslesetoiles.org.