FIPRESCI Prizes

Overview

FIPRESCI Prizes are awarded by juries of international film critics at more than 80 film festivals around the world. The Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique (International Federation of Film Critics), founded in 1925 and officially established on June 6, 1930, is the world's oldest organization of professional film critics, with member associations from over 80 countries. FIPRESCI presented its first festival prize at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, jointly awarding Brief Encounter by David Lean and Farrebique by Georges Rouquier.

At the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May 2026, the FIPRESCI jury awarded prizes in three sections: Fjord by Cristian Mungiu (Competition), Ben'Imana by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo (Un Certain Regard), and A Girl Unknown by Jing Zou (Directors' Fortnight / Critics' Week). At the 76th Berlinale in February 2026, FIPRESCI prizes went to Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Competition), Animol by Ashley Walters (Perspectives), Narciso by Marcelo Martinessi (Panorama), and AnyMart by Yusuke Iwasaki (Forum).

The FIPRESCI Grand Prix for Best Film of the Year 2025 was awarded to I'm Still Here by Walter Salles, voted by 739 critics from 75 countries. The film also won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The FIPRESCI Platinum Award 2026 was presented to Jafar Panahi.

The current FIPRESCI Board consists of President Ahmed Shawky (Egypt) and Vice-Presidents Paola Casella (Italy), Elena Rubashevska (Ukraine), and Alin Tasciyan (Turkey), with consultative members Philippe J. Maarek (Head of Legal Affairs, France) and Beat Glur (Treasurer, Switzerland).

Eligibility and Submission Rules

FIPRESCI does not accept film submissions. Films qualify automatically by being selected for a participating festival's program. All films presented publicly within a particular festival qualify, unless the General Assembly has decided to restrict the jury to specific sections. Films that already received a FIPRESCI prize at one festival can be considered again at a different festival.

The General Assembly decides which festivals host FIPRESCI juries and which sections of each festival are eligible. In special cases, the Board can set up an experimental jury and report results to the General Assembly. As of 2026, FIPRESCI collaborates with more than 80 international film festivals worldwide.

At major festivals, FIPRESCI awards prizes in multiple sections:

• Cannes: Competition, Un Certain Regard, and parallel sections (Directors' Fortnight, Critics' Week)
• Berlinale: Competition, Panorama, and Forum
• Venice: Official competition
• Toronto: Discovery (first and second features)
• San Sebastian: Official selection
• Locarno: International competition
• Palm Springs: Best International Feature (2026 winner: Sirat by Oliver Laxe)

FIPRESCI has recently expanded its jury presence to new festivals, including establishing a jury at the Sundance Film Festival and at Sitges - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.

Voting Process

At each participating festival, FIPRESCI sends a jury of 3 to 9 critics, all from different countries. The Board appoints jury members from lists of candidates proposed by national sections. National sections propose critics who have knowledge of and report regularly about world cinema.

Jury members cannot have permanent or part-time connections with production, distribution, or advertising companies. Critics connected to a festival where FIPRESCI establishes a jury cannot serve on that festival's jury. At major festivals, the jury may divide to cover separate sections, allowing more than one member from the same country if they cover different sections.

The jury watches all eligible films in its assigned section and selects a single winner by majority vote. FIPRESCI juries award only one prize per section. The prize consists of a diploma containing the film title and director's name. The jury announces the winner alongside the festival's official awards.

For the FIPRESCI Grand Prix, all FIPRESCI members vote. The 2025 Grand Prix vote drew 739 critics from 75 countries. Members select the best film of the year from all films released since July 1 of the prior year.

FIPRESCI Grand Prix and Special Awards

Beyond festival juries, FIPRESCI presents several standalone awards:

• FIPRESCI Grand Prix: Best film of the year, voted by all members. Presented at the San Sebastian Festival opening gala.
• European Discovery Award: Best first feature, awarded with the European Film Academy. 2026 winner: On Falling by Laura Carreira.
• FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix: Best documentary, a new category with nominees announced at Berlinale 2026.
• Latin American Lifetime Achievement Award
• FIPRESCI 90 Platinum Award: Special recognition award

Key Categories

FIPRESCI awards prizes at 80+ festivals annually. Each festival jury awards one prize per assigned section. The most prominent festival juries include:

• Cannes - Competition, Un Certain Regard, and parallel sections
• Venice - Official competition
• Berlinale - Competition, Panorama, and Forum
• Toronto - Discovery (first and second features)
• San Sebastian - Official selection and Grand Prix presentation
• Locarno - International competition
• Palm Springs - Best International Feature
• Karlovy Vary - FIPRESCI Prize

History

FIPRESCI was initiated in 1925 and officially founded on June 6, 1930, in Paris by national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists. The organization's mission is to promote film culture and the development of cinema through critical engagement, organized through International Critics Juries at festivals.

The first FIPRESCI Prize was awarded at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. In subsequent years, Venice and Berlinale invited film critics juries, followed by Locarno, Karlovy Vary, and San Sebastian. The network has since expanded to over 80 festivals worldwide.

FIPRESCI prizes have frequently identified films and filmmakers who went on to major international careers. The FIPRESCI Grand Prix, established in 1999, has been awarded to films by Pedro Almodovar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfonso Cuaron, Michael Haneke, Aki Kaurismaki, Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, Terrence Malick, George Miller, and ChloE Zhao.

Because FIPRESCI juries rotate entirely at each festival, the prizes reflect a constantly refreshed critical perspective rather than institutional bias. This gives them a diversity of judgment that distinguishes them from single-organization awards.

Recent Winners / Nominees

2026 Cannes Film Festival (79th edition)

• Competition: Fjord by Cristian Mungiu (also won the Palme d'Or)
• Un Certain Regard: Ben'Imana by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo
• Directors' Fortnight / Critics' Week: A Girl Unknown by Jing Zou

2026 Berlinale (76th edition)

• Competition: Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
• Perspectives: Animol by Ashley Walters
• Panorama: Narciso by Marcelo Martinessi
• Forum: AnyMart by Yusuke Iwasaki

2025 FIPRESCI Grand Prix

• Winner: I'm Still Here by Walter Salles, voted by 739 critics from 75 countries. Presented at the 73rd San Sebastian Festival opening gala on September 19, 2025. The film later won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

2025 Toronto International Film Festival

• Discovery: Forastera by Lucia Alenar Iglesias (debut feature)

2025 IDFA

• Winner: Paikar by Dawood Hilmandi (Netherlands/Afghanistan)

2026 Palm Springs

• Best International Feature: Sirat by Oliver Laxe (also received 2 Oscar nominations)

Eligibility Quirks That Trip People Up

• Mistake: Assuming you can submit your film directly to FIPRESCI for prize consideration. Correct rule: FIPRESCI does not accept submissions. Your film must be selected by a participating festival's programming team. The jury watches what the festival programs.
• Mistake: Assuming a film that already won a FIPRESCI prize at one festival is ineligible at another. Correct rule: Films that already received a FIPRESCI prize can be considered again at a different festival. A film can win multiple FIPRESCI prizes across different events.
• Mistake: Assuming FIPRESCI juries consider all sections at every festival. Correct rule: The General Assembly decides which sections are eligible at each festival. At some festivals, only the main competition qualifies. At others, multiple sections have separate juries.
• Mistake: Assuming the FIPRESCI Grand Prix uses the same jury system as festival prizes. Correct rule: The Grand Prix is voted by all FIPRESCI members, not a small jury. In 2025, 739 critics from 75 countries participated.

Prestige Tier

FIPRESCI prizes sit below the top official prizes at major festivals (Palme d'Or, Golden Bear, Golden Lion) but above most secondary festival jury prizes. A FIPRESCI prize at Cannes, Berlin, or Venice carries more weight than at smaller festivals. The competition pool is deeper, and the jury selects from the strongest international programming.

The FIPRESCI Grand Prix ranks among the most respected annual critics' awards globally, alongside the National Society of Film Critics (USA). It differs from those awards because its voting base spans 75 countries, giving it a broader international perspective than any single-nationality critics' organization.

When a film wins both the official top prize and the FIPRESCI prize, as Fjord did at Cannes 2026, the double win amplifies the film's awards season momentum.

Business Impact for Filmmakers

For filmmakers, a FIPRESCI prize at a major festival provides an additional credential that carries specific weight in the international arthouse and festival circuit. The prize signals critical endorsement from an independent body. Distributors and sales agents view it as a quality marker when evaluating acquisitions.

The FIPRESCI prize at Toronto's Discovery section is particularly valuable for debut and second-feature filmmakers. It draws attention to emerging talent at one of the world's most commercially significant festivals. The 2026 Palm Springs FIPRESCI Prize winner Sirat by Oliver Laxe also received 2 Oscar nominations, showing how FIPRESCI recognition can reinforce broader awards momentum.

The FIPRESCI Grand Prix has proven to be a reliable predictor of international awards success. The 2025 winner I'm Still Here went on to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The 2026 European Discovery winner On Falling by Laura Carreira also won the European Film Award for European Discovery.

For sales agents, a FIPRESCI prize provides a concrete marketing hook for distribution materials and festival re-screenings. The prize is particularly valuable for films that do not win the festival's official top prize but receive critical recognition. It creates an alternative narrative for distribution campaigns.

What Filmmakers Should Know

You cannot apply for a FIPRESCI prize. The only path to eligibility is getting your film selected by a festival that hosts a FIPRESCI jury. Focus your energy on festival strategy and submission deadlines for the 80+ participating festivals, not on FIPRESCI itself.

The prize is decided by a small jury of 3 to 9 critics, not the full membership. This means a single festival's FIPRESCI result reflects a narrow critical perspective, not a global consensus. The Grand Prix, by contrast, draws on 700+ voters and carries broader authority.

The key trade-off: a FIPRESCI prize carries critical prestige but no direct monetary award. The prize is a diploma, not a cash grant. Its value lies in distribution leverage and festival circuit momentum. Films that win FIPRESCI at major festivals typically see increased sales agent interest and additional festival invitations, but the filmmaker must convert that attention into deals.

A FIPRESCI prize works best as part of a broader festival strategy. If your film wins the official top prize, FIPRESCI adds a critical endorsement layer. If not, FIPRESCI creates an alternative narrative for distribution.

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See Also

For understanding how festival prizes influence distribution strategy, see Festival Strategy for Independent Films. For a broader view of which awards move the needle on distribution deals, see Film Awards That Help With Distribution. To model how festival recognition translates into revenue, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating festival submission costs against potential returns, use the Festival ROI Calculator.