Film is undoubtedly the most common way to say "movie" in French. But just like in English, there are several other options to describe a cinematic experience, from a blockbuster to a flick!As you immerse yourself in French culture, whether you're discussing your favorite directors or planning a night out at the 'cinéma', you'll find it incredibly useful to know the various terms for 'movie'.Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'movie' (and related terms) in French, so you can sound more natural and understand French speakers better!

The standard 'movie' – film

The standard 'movie' – film

Film is the most common and versatile French word for 'movie' or 'film'.

As a masculine noun, film takes le or un before it: le film (the film), un film (a film). Its plural form is les films.

You can use film in almost any context when referring to a motion picture, whether it's a blockbuster, an indie production, or a documentary. It's universally understood and appropriate for both formal and informal situations.

Common verbs used with film include voir un film (to see/watch a movie), regarder un film (to watch a movie), faire un film (to make a movie), and produire un film (to produce a movie). You might also talk about a genre de film (movie genre).

It's important to distinguish film from cinéma. While cinéma can refer to the art form of moviemaking or the movie theater itself, film specifically denotes the individual movie production. For instance, J'adore le cinéma means 'I love cinema/movies in general', whereas J'ai vu un bon film hier soir means 'I saw a good movie last night'.

To express 'going to the movies' (meaning the movie theater), the correct phrase is aller au cinéma. You would not say aller au film in this context.

While film is the general term, you might encounter more specific terms like long-métrage (feature film) or court-métrage (short film). However, film is always appropriate for any length of motion picture.

💡 * J'ai regardé un excellent film hier soir. (I watched an excellent movie last night.)* Quel est ton film préféré ? (What is your favorite movie?)* Nous allons voir un film d'action au cinéma ce week-end. (We're going to see an action movie at the cinema this weekend.)* Ce réalisateur français a fait plusieurs films primés. (This French director has made several award-winning films.)* Le film commence à 20h. (The movie starts at 8 PM.)

The 'cinema' or 'movie theater' – cinéma

The 'cinema' or 'movie theater' – cinéma

In French, the word cinéma (masculine) is the most common and direct way to refer to a 'movie theater' or 'cinema'.

It's used when you want to talk about the physical building where movies are shown, much like 'the cinema' or 'the movie theater' in English.

Cinéma can also refer to the art form or industry of filmmaking itself, similar to how 'cinema' is used in English to mean 'movies' in general.

A very common phrase you'll hear is aller au cinéma, which means 'to go to the movies' or 'to go to the cinema'.

It's important to remember that while cinéma is the place or the art, it's not typically used to refer to an individual 'movie' or 'film'. For that, you'd use film or long-métrage.

France has a rich history with cinema, and going to the cinéma is a popular cultural activity, often a social outing with friends or family.

💡 * On va au cinéma ce soir? (Shall we go to the movies tonight?)* J'adore le cinéma français. (I love French cinema.)* Le nouveau cinéma du centre-ville est très moderne. (The new downtown movie theater is very modern.)* Tu as vu le film au cinéma ou à la maison? (Did you see the movie at the cinema or at home?)* C'est un grand fan de cinéma. (He's a big fan of cinema.)

The 'feature film' – long-métrage

When discussing cinema in French, the term for a 'feature film' or 'full-length movie' is long-métrage.

Long-métrage refers to a film with a running time long enough to be considered the principal movie in a program, typically exceeding 60 minutes. It's the standard term for what English speakers call a 'feature film'.

The term is a compound of long (meaning 'long') and métrage (which refers to 'footage' or 'length of film'). Thus, it literally translates to 'long footage'.

As a noun, long-métrage is masculine. You would say un long-métrage (a feature film) or le long-métrage (the feature film). The plural form is des long-métrages.

It is often contrasted with court-métrage (short film), which denotes a film with a significantly shorter running time. This distinction is fundamental in film classification and festival categories.

You'll encounter long-métrage in discussions about film production, movie reviews, and cinematic events, always referring to a full-length theatrical release.

While long-métrage is the precise industry term, in casual conversation, one might simply refer to it as un film (a film) or un film complet (a complete film), but long-métrage carries the specific meaning of a 'feature' rather than just 'any film'.

💡 *Le réalisateur a présenté son nouveau long-métrage au festival de Cannes. (The director presented his new feature film at the Cannes festival.)
*Combien de long-métrages avez-vous vus cette année ? (How many feature films have you seen this year?)
*Ce documentaire est un long-métrage captivant. (This documentary is a captivating feature film.)
*Il préfère les long-métrages aux séries télévisées. (He prefers feature films to TV series.)

The 'short film' – court-métrage

The term court-métrage directly translates to 'short film' in English, referring to a cinematic work that is shorter than a feature film.

It is a compound word derived from court (short) and métrage (footage or length, literally 'meterage'). This clearly indicates its nature as a film of limited duration.

In French cinema, court-métrage is a widely recognized category, often serving as a training ground for emerging directors or a format for experimental storytelling. It maintains a strong presence in film festivals.

💡 * J'ai vu un excellent court-métrage hier soir. (I saw an excellent short film last night.)

• Beaucoup de réalisateurs commencent leur carrière avec des courts-métrages. (Many directors start their career with short films.)
• Ce festival est dédié aux courts-métrages indépendants. (This festival is dedicated to independent short films.)
• La durée d'un court-métrage est généralement inférieure à 59 minutes. (The duration of a short film is generally less than 59 minutes.)

The 'screening' or 'showing' – projection

When you're talking about a film screening or a showing of a movie in French, the word you're looking for is projection.

Projection is a feminine noun that directly translates to 'projection' in English, but in the context of cinema, it specifically refers to the act of showing a film or the event itself.

You'll most often encounter projection in phrases related to going to the movies, film festivals, or any event where a film is being shown to an audience.

While séance can also mean a 'showing' or 'session,' projection specifically emphasizes the act of projecting the film, making it a precise term for a movie screening.

Remember that projection is a feminine noun, so it will always be preceded by feminine articles like la (the) or une (a/an).

To ask about a film showing or discuss a movie screening, projection is your go-to word.

💡 *La prochaine projection est à 20h. (The next showing is at 8 PM.)
*Nous allons à la projection du nouveau film ce soir. (We are going to the screening of the new film tonight.)
*Y a-t-il des projections spéciales ce week-end ? (Are there any special screenings this weekend?)
*J'ai adoré la projection de ce documentaire. (I loved the screening of this documentary.)

The 'session' or 'showing' – séance

The French word séance is a versatile noun that primarily translates to 'session' or 'showing' in English. While it might immediately bring to mind spiritualist gatherings for some English speakers, its most common uses in French are far more mundane and frequent, referring to scheduled periods of activity or entertainment.

One of the most frequent applications of séance is in the context of cinema or theatre. It refers to a specific screening of a film or a performance of a play. For instance, if you're looking for movie times, you'd ask for 'les horaires des séances'.

Beyond entertainment, séance is also widely used to denote a work session, a meeting, or a study period. This could be a parliamentary session, a therapy session, a training session, or even a gym session. It signifies a dedicated block of time for a particular activity.

In more specific professional fields, séance often describes an appointment or session with a professional, such as a doctor, a therapist, or a physiotherapist. For example, 'une séance de kiné' means a physiotherapy session.

It's important to note that while séance can refer to a spiritualist gathering to communicate with spirits (its direct cognate in English), this usage is much less common in everyday French. For learners, focusing on 'session' or 'showing' for movies, work, or therapy will be far more practical and frequent.

💡 *Quelle est la prochaine séance de cinéma ? (What's the next movie showing?)
*J'ai une séance de travail cet après-midi. (I have a work session this afternoon.)
*La séance du conseil municipal a duré trois heures. (The city council meeting lasted three hours.)
*Elle a rendez-vous pour une séance de massage. (She has an appointment for a massage session.)
*Nous avons assisté à la dernière séance du film. (We attended the last showing of the movie.)

The 'cartoon' or 'animated movie' – dessin animé

To talk about a 'cartoon' or an 'animated movie' in French, the most common term you'll use is dessin animé.

Literally translating to 'animated drawing', dessin animé covers everything from short animated series for children to full-length animated feature films. It's a versatile term that doesn't distinguish between the two in the same way English might use 'cartoon' vs. 'animated movie'.

It's important to remember that dessin animé is a masculine noun. Therefore, you'll always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, like un dessin animé or le dessin animé.

💡 * J'adore regarder des dessins animés le samedi matin. (I love watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.)

• Quel est ton dessin animé préféré ? (What is your favorite animated movie/cartoon?)
• Ce nouveau dessin animé de Disney est fantastique ! (This new Disney animated movie is fantastic!)
• Mes enfants passent des heures devant les dessins animés. (My children spend hours in front of cartoons.)

The 'documentary' – documentaire

The 'documentary' – documentaire. In French, the word documentaire serves as the direct translation for 'documentary'.

Most commonly, you'll encounter documentaire as a masculine noun: un documentaire (a documentary). This refers to a non-fictional film or television program that presents facts and information.

It can also function as an adjective, meaning 'documentary' or 'factual'. For instance, you might hear un film documentaire (a documentary film) or une série documentaire (a documentary series), although using un documentaire on its own is often sufficient for the film genre.

As an adjective, documentaire is invariable for gender (it's the same for masculine and feminine nouns, e.g., une émission documentaire), but it does take an 's' for plural: des documentaires (plural noun) or des films documentaires (plural adjective).

💡 * J'adore regarder des documentaires sur la nature. (I love watching nature documentaries.)

• Ce soir, il y a un documentaire fascinant sur l'histoire romaine. (Tonight, there's a fascinating documentary about Roman history.)
• Elle travaille sur un projet documentaire depuis des mois. (She has been working on a documentary project for months.)
• Les chaînes de télévision diffusent de plus en plus de séries documentaires. (TV channels are broadcasting more and more documentary series.)

The 'cinematic work' – œuvre cinématographique

The most precise and formal way to say "cinematic work" or "film work" in French is œuvre cinématographique. This term is a direct translation and is used to refer to a film as an artistic creation.

The word œuvre (feminine) generally means "work" in an artistic or creative sense, such as a work of art, literature, or music. It implies a completed creation by an artist or creator. It's distinct from travail, which refers more to labor or a job.

The adjective cinématographique means "cinematic" or "relating to cinema." It specifies that the "work" in question is a film. This adjective is derived from cinéma (cinema/movie theater).

Œuvre cinématographique is typically used in formal contexts, such as film criticism, academic discourse, legal documents pertaining to intellectual property, or official film festival descriptions. It emphasizes the artistic and cultural value of a film.

While œuvre cinématographique is accurate, in everyday conversation, French speakers usually opt for simpler terms like un film (a film/movie) or un long-métrage (a feature film) when referring to a movie.

💡 *Cette œuvre cinématographique a remporté la Palme d'Or à Cannes. (This cinematic work won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.)
*L'analyse de l'œuvre cinématographique de ce réalisateur est fascinante. (The analysis of this director's cinematic work is fascinating.)
*Le festival met en lumière des œuvres cinématographiques innovantes. (The festival highlights innovative cinematic works.)
*Chaque œuvre cinématographique est protégée par le droit d'auteur. (Each cinematic work is protected by copyright.)
*Préférez-vous regarder une œuvre cinématographique ou une pièce de théâtre? (Do you prefer to watch a cinematic work or a play?)

Are there other ways to say 'movie' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'movie' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'movie' in French. But the French language is rich with regional variations, slang, and specific terms for different types of cinematic works that even this author might not be fully aware of!

You can also do an online search for 'comment dire film en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms or related terms for film or cinéma on your linguistic journey. Of course, always check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to French media — especially films, TV shows, and interviews with directors — you may discover different ways to talk about movies and the cinematic experience.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of terms related to cinema, or words about different genres of films in French, the WordReference entry for film or cinéma is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Jean Cocteau: Le cinéma est l'écriture moderne dont l'encre est la lumière. (Cinema is the modern writing whose ink is light.)