The Mois de la Photo-OFF is a fringe festival organised in parallel to the official Mois de la Photo festival, held in November every two years. The goal of this alternative event is to offer a more dynamic selection of emerging photographers exhibited in young galleries as well as unexpected spaces, like a church. It is this eclectic mix of spaces that makes visiting the exhibits in the 'off' more fun than the official version of the festival.

All the exhibits are free and are listed in a printed catalogue according to their geographic position in the city. On the festival's website, a Google Map plots all the exhibition spaces so they can be visited according to circuits, or 'parcours,' on certain dates. This gives visitors the opportunity to meet and discuss the work on show with the photographers, many of whom are international - from Russia, Japan and the US, as well as France and the rest of Europe - and who are more than happy to talk about their work.

If you are a photographer and interested in sharing your own work, then the festival also organizes free portfolio sessions, where budding shooters can present their work to a panel of professionals and get feedback from an expert's point of view. These 'lectures de portfolios' take place on November 18 & 19, from 2pm to 6pm at La Galerie G, 23 rue des Lilas, 19e, M° Place des Fetes.
For more information about the festival and the related events, go to the website, where you can download the full programme as a PDF or lookout for the printed copy around town, available for free in participating galleries and good bookstores.  http://www.moisdelaphoto-off.org