Louis Delluc Prize

Overview

The Louis Delluc Prize (Prix Louis-Delluc) is a French film award presented annually to the best French film of the year. Created in 1937, it is one of the oldest film awards in the world. The prize is decided by a jury of approximately 20 film critics and cultural figures, currently presided over by Gilles Jacob, former artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival. The jury meets at Fouquet's restaurant on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, and the winners are announced in the second week of December.

The 2025 Louis Delluc Prize was awarded on December 10, 2025, to La Petite Derniere (The Little Sister), directed by Hafsia Herzi. The film, a coming-of-age story about a young woman navigating queer identity and family expectations in a French-Arab Muslim household, premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Nadia Melliti won the Best Actress award. The debut film prize went to Le Rendez-vous de l'ete (That Summer in Paris), directed by Valentine Cadic. The trophy ceremony took place on January 26, 2026, at the Cinematheque francaise.

The prize is nicknamed the "Goncourt of cinema" in reference to France's most respected literary prize, the Prix Goncourt. Like the Goncourt, the Louis Delluc Prize carries cultural authority that extends beyond the film industry into French intellectual and cultural life. The full list of past winners is published on the official website.

Eligibility and Selection

The Louis Delluc Prize is awarded to films of "French initiative" (d'initiative francaise), meaning French-produced or French-led co-productions that marked the calendar year. There are no submission fees or formal entry forms. The jury selects the winner from films released during the year, with no public shortlist or nomination process.

The jury is composed exclusively of film critics and cultural figures. As of the 2025 edition, the jury members included:

• Gilles Jacob (president), former Cannes artistic director
• Sophie Avon (vice-president)
• Ariane Allard
• Ava Cahen
• Charlotte Lipinska
• Elisabeth Franck-Dumas
• Jean-Marc Lalanne
• Jean-Michel Frodon
• Gerard Lefort
• Mathieu Macheret
• Pierre Murat
• Sophie Grassin
• Alex Vicente

The jury deliberates and votes at Fouquet's restaurant in Paris, with the results announced immediately. The trophy ceremony follows several weeks later at the Cinematheque francaise.

Key Prizes

• Prix Louis Delluc - best French film of the year
• Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film - best French debut feature

Recent Results

2025

• Prix Louis Delluc: La Petite Derniere (The Little Sister) - dir. Hafsia Herzi (June Films). Released in France by Ad Vitam, tallying 395,000 admissions. International sales handled by mk2.
• Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film: Le Rendez-vous de l'ete (That Summer in Paris) - dir. Valentine Cadic (Cinq de Trefle, Comme des Cinemas). World premiered in the Berlinale Perspectives competition. Released in France by New Story, international sales by Urban Sales.

The 2025 Delluc jury considered La Petite Derniere against six other films: Dossier 137 (Dominik Moll), Enzo (Robin Campillo), Laurent dans le vent (Matteo Eustachon, Leo Couture, Anton Balekdjian), Love Me Tender (Anna Cazenave Cambet), and Nouvelle Vague (Richard Linklater).

2024

• Prix Louis Delluc: Misericorde (Misericordia) - dir. Alain Guiraudie (CG Cinema)
• Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film: Les Fantomes (Ghost Trail) - dir. Jonathan Millet

2023

• Prix Louis Delluc: Le Regne Animal (The Animal Kingdom) - dir. Thomas Cailley
• Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film: Le Ravissement (The Rapture) - dir. Iris Kaltenback

History

The Louis Delluc Prize was created in 1937 by a group of 24 film critics, including Maurice Bessy and Marcel Idzkowski, on the initiative of three cinema critics who wanted to establish an award honoring Louis Delluc (1890-1924). Delluc was a French filmmaker, critic, and theorist considered one of the founders of French film criticism and the inventor of the ciné-club movement. The prize was established in response to the Academie francaise's decision to award its Grand Prix du Cinema to films by French filmmakers, which the critics felt did not adequately recognise artistic achievement.

The first Louis Delluc Prize was awarded in 1937 to Jean Renoir's Les Bas-fonds (The Lower Depths). The prize was suspended during World War II and resumed in 1945. Since then, the roster of winners reads as a history of French cinema at its most artistically ambitious: Marcel Carne, Jacques Tati, Robert Bresson, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, Maurice Pialat, Claire Denis, and Celine Sciamma have all received the prize.

The debut film prize (Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film) was added later to encourage emerging French filmmakers. Recent first-film winners include Iris Kaltenback (Le Ravissement, 2023), Jonathan Millet (Les Fantomes, 2024), and Valentine Cadic (Le Rendez-vous de l'ete, 2025). This category has proven prescient, identifying directors early in their careers who went on to major international recognition.

Business Impact for Filmmakers

For French filmmakers, the Louis Delluc Prize is the highest critical endorsement available in French cinema. The prize's December timing means it influences year-end cultural discussions in France and can boost a film's commercial performance during the holiday theatrical season. La Petite Derniere had already tallied 395,000 admissions before winning the 2025 prize, and the Delluc recognition typically extends a film's theatrical run through January and February.

The Delluc Prize differs from the Cesars (France's industry-voted Academy Awards, held in February) in that it represents the judgment of working film critics rather than industry professionals. A film can win both, but the Delluc is often seen as a signal of artistic merit rather than industry consensus. The 2023 Delluc winner Le Regne Animal (The Animal Kingdom) went on to win multiple Cesars, demonstrating that critical and industry recognition can align.

For debut filmmakers, the Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film provides visibility that directly affects distribution and festival prospects. Valentine Cadic's Le Rendez-vous de l'ete had its world premiere at the Berlinale before winning the 2025 first-film prize, and the Delluc recognition supports further international festival bookings and sales activity. The prize is supported by the CNC (Centre National du Cinema et de l'Image Animee), France's national film fund, which also provides production support to many of the winning films through its selective aid programs.

Past Winners and What They Won With

The 2025 Louis Delluc Prize was awarded to La Petite Derniere by Gaspar Noe, which had already tallied 395,000 admissions before winning. The Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film (first film prize) was awarded to Valentine Cadic for Le Rendez-vous de l'ete, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale. The 2023 Delluc winner Le Regne Animal (The Animal Kingdom) went on to win multiple Cesars, demonstrating that critical and industry recognition can align. Past winners include legendary figures of French cinema: Agnes Varda won for Le Bonheur in 1964, and the prize has been awarded annually since 1937. The prize is named after Louis Delluc, the French film critic and director (1890-1925) considered one of the founders of French cinema criticism. The Delluc Prize is awarded in December, making it the first major French film prize of the awards season and influencing year-end cultural discussions.

Eligibility Quirks That Trip People Up

The Delluc Prize differs from the Cesars (France's industry-voted Academy Awards, held in February) in that it represents the judgment of working film critics rather than industry professionals. A film can win both, but the Delluc is often seen as a signal of artistic merit rather than industry consensus. The prize is awarded by a jury of approximately 20 film critics and cultural journalists, led by a president. The December timing means it influences year-end cultural discussions in France and can boost a film's commercial performance during the holiday theatrical season. The Delluc recognition typically extends a film's theatrical run through January and February. For debut filmmakers, the Prix Louis Delluc du Premier Film provides visibility that directly affects distribution and festival prospects. The prize is supported by the CNC (Centre National du Cinema et de l'Image Animee), France's national film fund.

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See Also

For understanding how French cinema connects to international distribution, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue across European markets, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating the cost of a festival and awards run against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.