In 1951, Doniol-Valcroze was a co-founder of the renowned film magazine Cahiers du cinéma, along with André Bazin and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.

As critic, he championed numerous filmmakers including Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, and Nicholas Ray.

[3] In his thirties he played a pivotal role in the French New Wave, discussing the beginnings of "the new cinema" as the co-founder of Cahiers du cinéma and defended Alain Robbe-Grillet.

[4] In 1963 he appeared in L'Immortelle, an international co-produced drama art film[5] directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet.

[7] The Director’s Fortnight, founded in 1968 during the nationwide strikes which closed down the Cannes Film Festival that year, was the brainchild of Jacques Doniol-Valcroze.