The Amateur Film Factory: make your short film for free in Saint-Ouen

From June 6 to July 6, 2026, the Usine de Films Amateurs of renowned filmmaker Michel Gondry sets up shop at the Patinoire, the iconic venue of the city of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. This pop-up studio offers a fully free, participatory artistic setup open to all, with no technical prerequisites. It’s a rare chance to dive into the creation of a short film from start to finish in record time.

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This historic building, shuttered in October 2020, listed as a remarkable heritage site and designed by architect Paul Chemetov, continues its transformation into a future cornerstone of local culture, following the many exhibitions held inside. The kickoff will be marked on the occasion of the Nuit Blanche, for an evening of gathering, before it serves as a creative space for all aspiring cinéphiles who wish to use it.

The site is, by the way, well known to Michel Gondry, who shot his film L’Écume des jours there in 2013. The concept is simple: participants are divided into groups of 10 to 20 people and are given three hours on the clock to write the screenplay, shoot the scenes, and project their finished film. To let your imagination run free, eleven thematic sets have been specially installed in the heart of the building.

Note that the pop-up studio is open only from Monday to Friday. The time slots, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., mainly target people who are available during the week. The very essence of the project is collective creation: you’re not making your own solo project in isolation, but you’re necessarily integrated into a group of strangers. So you have to be ready to negotiate the script, share the roles, and work with everyone’s ideas within a very tight timeframe!