Overview
La Cinef (formerly known as Cinefondation) is the official student film competition at the Festival de Cannes. Established in 1998 by Gilles Jacob, then president of the festival, the competition selects approximately 15 to 20 student films each year from film schools around the world for screening in the Official Selection. The 79th Festival de Cannes takes place from May 12 to 23, 2026, with the 80th edition following in 2027.
Selected films screen at the Salle Bunuel inside the Palais des Festivals during the festival. An international jury of at least four film industry personalities selects three prize winners by secret ballot. The first-prize winner receives an invitation to return to Cannes with their first feature film, which will screen with a credit noting it was made with the support of the Festival de Cannes.
Submission is free of charge. There is no entry fee for La Cinef submissions, unlike the Short Film Competition and feature film submissions which require fees.
Prizes
The jury designates three awards from the selected films:
| Prize | Amount | Additional Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| First Prize | EUR 15,000 | Invitation to return to Cannes with first feature film, which will carry a credit noting Festival de Cannes support |
| Second Prize | EUR 11,000 | |
| Third Prize | EUR 7,500 |
In case of a joint award (ex aequo), the prize amount is divided equally. However, the first prize cannot be a joint award unless a special waiver is granted.
All selected films receive a screening in the Official Selection at the Festival de Cannes, regardless of whether they win a prize.
Eligibility
Films must meet these conditions to be selected, unless a special waiver is granted:
- The film must have been made during the 18 months preceding the Festival
- The film must not have been presented at any major international festival
- The film must not exceed 60 minutes in running time
- Documentaries are not accepted (fiction and animation only)
- The film must have been made in the course of the filmmaker's studies at a film school or university with a cinema department (secondary schools are excluded)
There are no restrictions on the nationality of the filmmaker or the film school. A student film must be registered with La Cinef and cannot also be submitted to the Short Film Competition. The two categories are mutually exclusive.
How to Apply
Submission is done online through the Festival de Cannes "My Account" portal. The process works as follows:
- The film school submits the film, not the individual student. Schools must register and upload films through the online portal.
- Fill in the application form and upload the film online.
- The registration deadline for the 2027 Festival is February 15, 2027. By this date, the entry form must be completed and the film uploaded.
- For the 2026 Festival (79th edition, May 12-23, 2026), the deadline for school films was February 25, 2026.
The Festival de Cannes Selection Committee is the sole decision-maker on which films are selected and in which section they screen. There is no submission fee for La Cinef entries.
Accepted submission formats for preselection include online upload. If the original language is French or English, no subtitles are required. For all other languages, French or English subtitles must be included.
Selection Process and Jury
La Cinef awards are designated by an international jury comprising a minimum of four personalities from the film industry. Each jury member votes by secret ballot. Decisions are reached by absolute majority of votes at the first two ballots and by relative majority at subsequent ballots. The jury may award one joint (ex aequo) prize, but this cannot apply to the first prize unless a special waiver is granted.
The selection committee views all submitted films and chooses the 15-20 films that will screen in the Official Selection. Being selected is itself a significant achievement, as the competition receives submissions from film schools worldwide.
What Selected Filmmakers Receive
- A screening at the Salle Bunuel in the Palais des Festivals during the Festival de Cannes
- Inclusion in the Official Selection of the Festival de Cannes
- International press coverage and industry visibility
- Professional credibility as a Cannes-selected filmmaker
- For prize winners: cash awards and (for first prize) a guaranteed return to Cannes with their debut feature
- Access to the Festival de Cannes accreditation and industry events
Historical Context
La Cinef was established in 1998 by Gilles Jacob, then president of the Festival de Cannes, as a way to highlight and encourage emerging talent from film schools. The competition was originally called "Cinefondation" before being renamed "La Cinef." Over its history, the competition has launched the careers of numerous filmmakers who have gone on to compete for the Palme d'Or and other major festival prizes. The competition's connection to Cannes provides student filmmakers with industry visibility that no other student film competition can match.
Notable past winners include filmmakers who have subsequently returned to Cannes with feature films in the Official Competition, Un Certain Regard, and the Directors' Fortnight. The first-prize guarantee of a return screening for the winner's debut feature is unique among student film competitions.
Who Should Apply
Film schools should nominate their strongest student films for La Cinef consideration. Individual students cannot apply directly. Students should work with their school's administration to determine whether their work will be submitted. The competition rewards films with exceptional directorial vision, visual sophistication, and storytelling originality in fiction or animation. Documentary filmmakers are not eligible and should look to other festival categories or competitions.
Schools can typically submit multiple films per year. Check the current regulations for the exact submission limit per school.
Past Recipients
La Cinef (formerly Cinefondation) has run since 1998. The competition receives 2,000-2,700 submissions annually from 476-662 film schools worldwide, and selects 15-19 films for the Official Selection. Recent first-prize winners:
- 2026: Laser-Gato (Lucas Acher, NYU, USA). Second: Silent Voices (Nadine Misong Jin, Columbia University). Joint Third: Aldrig Nok (Julius Lagoutte Larsen, La Fémis) and Growing Stones, Flying Papers (Roozbeh Gezerseh & Soraya Shamsi, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf).
- 2025: First Summer (Heo Gayoung, KAFA, South Korea). Second: 12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony (Qu Zhizheng, Beijing Film Academy).
- 2024: Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know... (Chidananda S Naik, FTII Pune, India). The 16-minute Kannada-language short, made as an FTII year-end exercise, won First Prize from 2,263 submissions by 555 film schools. It later won the 71st National Film Award for Best Script (Non-Feature).
- 2022: A Conspiracy Man (Il barbiere complottista) (Valerio Ferrara, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Italy). A 19-minute graduation short about a Roman barber who believes in conspiracy theories. The film was Ferrara's CSC graduation project and won First Prize from 2,000 entries by 476 film schools.
- 2023: Norwegian Offspring (Marlene Emilie Lyngstad, Den Danske Filmskole, Denmark).
The First Prize includes a guaranteed invitation to return to Cannes with the winner's debut feature film, which will carry a credit noting it was made with the support of the Festival de Cannes. This return invitation is unique among student film competitions and is the program's most durable career benefit. Past La Cinef winners have subsequently returned to Cannes with features in the Official Competition, Un Certain Regard, and the Directors' Fortnight.
What Made Winning Applications Stand Out
La Cinef is judged by an international jury of at least four industry personalities, and the selection committee views all submitted films before choosing the 15-19 that screen. What separates selected and winning films:
- Directorial vision and visual sophistication. The competition rewards films with a strong authorial voice and visual command. Films that look like competent student exercises do not advance over films that demonstrate a developed cinematic sensibility, even if the latter is rougher.
- Storytelling originality in fiction or animation. Documentaries are not accepted. Winning films tend to be built around a specific narrative or formal idea, not a generic story well-executed. Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know... was rooted in a Kannada folktale; A Conspiracy Man was a character study of a Roman conspiracy theorist. Cultural specificity and formal originality score over generic competence.
- Runtime discipline. Films cannot exceed 60 minutes. Winning films are typically tightly paced and structured as complete works, not excerpts or calling-card reels.
- Festival premiere status. Films must not have been presented at any major international festival. La Cinef wants world or high-profile premieres. Films that have already played at major festivals are ineligible.
- School submission quality. Because the film school submits the film, not the student, the school's curatorial judgment matters. Schools that submit their strongest, most distinctive work (FTII, CSC, La Fémis, NYU, Columbia, KAFA, Beijing Film Academy, NFTS) consistently place films in the selection.
Renewal Requirements
La Cinef is a one-time, non-renewable award. There is no renewal process. A film cannot be entered in any future La Cinef competition, and a film that has already been submitted to the Festival de Cannes Short Film Competition or any other Cannes section is ineligible. The cash prize (EUR 15,000 First, EUR 11,250 Second, EUR 7,500 Third) is paid once. In the case of a joint (ex aequo) award, the prize is divided equally, but the First Prize cannot be a joint award unless a special waiver is granted.
The First Prize's return invitation to Cannes with the winner's debut feature is a one-time benefit tied to that specific first feature. It does not renew or extend to subsequent features. The debut feature must be completed and submitted to the Festival, which will program it with a credit noting Festival de Cannes support. If the debut feature is not completed or not submitted, the return invitation is forfeited.
See Also
For festival strategy at the highest level, see Film Festival Strategy. To plan your student film production before submission, use the Production Budget Calculator. For understanding festival submission ROI, use the Festival ROI Calculator.
Scholarship and Education Resources
The Scholarship Handbook
A comprehensive guide to finding and winning scholarships, with strategies for application essays and interview preparation.
The Film School Handbook
A practical guide to choosing, applying to, and funding film school, covering undergraduate and graduate programs.
Student Filmmaking Gear
Browse B&H Photo's selection of affordable camera kits, audio recorders, and lighting for student productions.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Tools for Film earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. This support helps us keep our calculators and tools free.
