The 9th annual Festiphoto wildlife photography festival is returning to Rambouillet in Yvelines, France, from September 26-28, 2025. This major national wildlife photography event will be held at the Bergerie nationale, featuring multiple exhibitions, conferences, and educational programs designed to raise awareness about climate change and wildlife conservation.

Large-format photographs have already been displayed on Place Thome-Patenôtre in recent days, building anticipation for the festival's official opening on Friday at the national farm. The event will showcase the work of approximately 40 photographers, offering visitors a comprehensive look at contemporary wildlife photography across various habitats and species.

This year's festival patron is Olivier Larrey, a renowned photographer who advocates for polar regions and endangered Arctic animals including polar bears, seals, and whales. His exhibition "Sentinelles du froid" (Sentinels of the Cold) at La Lanterne will highlight the urgent issue of climate change in Arctic zones. Larrey will also present his film "Toundra" on Saturday, September 27 at 10:30 AM, followed by a discussion session.

Stéphane Hette serves as the festival's guest of honor, presenting his butterfly exhibition at La Bergerie. His work transforms insects into Japanese-inspired artistic tableaux, demonstrating the artistic potential of macro wildlife photography. Another featured photographer, Gilles Auroux, specializes in underwater photography and will display images captured in ocean depths, focusing particularly on sharks and marine life.

One of the festival's most innovative features is an immersive exhibition located in the Bergerie's dovecote, which has been transformed into an underwater environment. Visitors can experience sharks and whales as if they were actually in the ocean depths, creating an unprecedented sensory experience that brings marine wildlife photography to life.

The festival emerged from a competition that evaluated 1,000 photographs submitted under the theme "Nature in France." The top 20 winning images will be displayed in large format outdoors at the Bergerie, while the following 50 photographs will be printed by the organizers and presented indoors. A significant addition this year is the publication of an art book featuring the 70 winning photographs, providing a lasting record of contemporary French wildlife photography.

The competition's winning image, featuring a stone marten nicknamed "the squatter," was captured by gardener and photographer Arnaud Dubois from Eure-et-Loir. The photograph, taken on a farm using remote camera triggering, now serves as the festival's official poster image, representing the accessibility of wildlife photography to amateur enthusiasts.

Bruno Cart, the festival president and former school director in Hermeray, a small village near Rambouillet, emphasizes the educational mission of the event. "We are committed to inviting school classes from the area starting Friday, with 16 classes in total," Cart explains. The festival includes nature outings with workshops on nocturnal raptors and biodiversity animations designed to engage young visitors.

The conference program features presentations by leading experts in wildlife research and conservation. Thierry Aubin from CNRS will discuss his research on penguin sounds, explaining how to identify individual penguins within colonies. His presentations are scheduled for Saturday, September 27 at 3:35 PM and 4:35 PM.

Philippe Lassalas will present on sharks on Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM, while Jean-François Courreau, professor emeritus at the Maisons-Alfort veterinary school, will explain how to handle injured wild animals. Courreau's presentations are scheduled for Sunday at 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM, providing practical knowledge for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers.

Visitors can purchase photography cards and souvenir keychains at the festival's merchandise booth throughout the three-day event. The festival runs from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily at both the Bergerie nationale and La Lanterne venues. A three-day pass costs 12 euros, with reduced pricing of 6 euros for visitors under 18 years old. Reservations can be made through the official website at festiphoto-rambouillet.org.