FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)

Overview

FIPRESCI (Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique, or International Federation of Film Critics) is a global network of professional film critics and film journalists from more than 80 countries. Founded in 1925 and officially established on June 6, 1930, FIPRESCI is one of the oldest continuously operating film industry organizations in existence. The federation celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025. It is headquartered in Munich and operates with 50 national sections plus individual members in 36 additional countries.

FIPRESCI is best known for presenting the International Critics' Prize at more than 80 international film festivals worldwide (as of 2026). The federation's president is Ahmed Shawky. Klaus Eder served as General Secretary from 1987 to 2024, shaping FIPRESCI into its modern form. The federation's statutes were most recently updated and approved by unanimous electronic vote from March 26 to April 27, 2025.

For filmmakers submitting to international festivals, a FIPRESCI prize signals that working film critics - the people who write the reviews that influence arthouse audiences - have identified the film as significant. The prize operates independently of official festival juries, representing pure critical estimation rather than the consensus-building compromises that official jury decisions often involve.

History

FIPRESCI's origins trace back to 1925, when film journalists from Paris and Brussels founded a Professional Association of the Film Press. The idea of creating an international federation emerged during the Congress of Cinema held in Paris at the Rothschild Foundation building between September 27 and October 3, 1926. Belgian critics continued negotiations with national film press associations across Europe, but the process moved slowly. By 1929, it seemed the initiative might disappear.

In June 1930, during the International Congress on Cinema at the Palais des Academies in Brussels, French, Italian, and Belgian critics decided to establish the Federation based on the principle of individual membership. The second General Assembly took place in Rome in 1931, where the Italians proposed adopting the name "FIPRESCI." At the outbreak of World War II, FIPRESCI consisted of seven national sections (Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and Czechoslovakia) plus individual members from nine other countries.

FIPRESCI presented its first festival award at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, awarding the prize jointly to David Lean's Brief Encounter and Georges Rouquier's Farrebique. Venice and Berlinale invited critics' juries shortly after, followed by Locarno, Karlovy Vary, and San Sebastian.

FIPRESCI Prizes at Festivals

FIPRESCI juries operate independently of official festival juries. Jury members are professional film critics who are FIPRESCI members in good standing. The federation collaborates with more than 80 international film festivals worldwide, presenting prizes through international juries of professional critics.

Recent Prize Winners

At the 79th Cannes Film Festival (May 2026), FIPRESCI awarded prizes to:

• Official Competition: Fjord by Cristian Mungiu (Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark)
• Un Certain Regard (first or second feature): Ben'Imana by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo (Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway, Cote d'Ivoire)
• Parallel sections (Directors' Fortnight or Critics' Week): A Girl Unknown by Jing Zou (France, China)

At the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (February 2026), FIPRESCI awarded prizes to:

• Competition: Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (France, Chad)
• Perspectives: Animol by Ashley Walters (UK)
• Panorama: Narciso by Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay, Germany, Uruguay, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, France)
• Forum: AnyMart by Yusuke Iwasaki (Japan)

At the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (January-February 2026), FIPRESCI awarded its prize to Supporting Role by Ana Urushadze (Georgia). Rotterdam also hosted the FIPRESCI 100th Anniversary cocktail, preceded by a speech from president Ahmed Shawky.

Parallel Section Recognition

FIPRESCI prizes are particularly valuable for debut and early-career filmmakers. The federation awards prizes not only in official competition sections but also in parallel sections devoted to new directors and emerging cinema. This parallel-section recognition draws attention to films that may not yet be positioned for official competition prizes but deserve wider international recognition.

Special Awards

Beyond festival prizes, FIPRESCI presents several special distinctions:

• Grand Prix: Honors outstanding achievements of the year
• European Discovery Award: Presented in cooperation with the European Film Academy to a director for their first full-length fiction film
• Latin American Lifetime Achievement Award: Recognizes career contributions from Latin American cinema
• FIPRESCI 90 Platinum Award: Special anniversary recognition
• Documentary Grand Prix: First announced at the Berlinale 2026, with five nominated films

The European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI is co-presented with the European Film Academy at the European Film Awards. A committee composed of FIPRESCI members and experts appointed by the Academy Board selects the nominated films. At the 2026 European Film Awards, Laura Carrita won this prize for On Falling (UK, Portugal).

Membership and Structure

FIPRESCI membership is organized through national sections. Each country has one national section, typically made up of a single national film critics' organization. In exceptional cases, a maximum of two organizations can be affiliated within a national section. In countries where no national section exists, individual film critics and journalists can join directly.

The 50 national sections include organizations from Argentina (ACCA), France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, USA (National Society of Film Critics, chaired by Justin Chang), and dozens of other countries. Individual members represent countries from Albania to Vietnam, including nations without established national critics' associations.

Each national section has one vote at FIPRESCI meetings and assemblies. The federation's governing structure includes a Board elected by the membership and a General Assembly that meets annually, typically during the Berlinale.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For filmmakers submitting to international festivals, a FIPRESCI prize is a meaningful outcome that strengthens a film's distribution prospects. The prize signals that working film critics have identified the film as significant, which carries weight with international distributors assessing a film's arthouse market potential.

FIPRESCI juries operate independently from official festival juries. A FIPRESCI prize is a pure critical judgment, undiluted by the diplomatic considerations that can shape official jury decisions. For films seeking international distribution deals at markets following a festival premiere, FIPRESCI recognition provides concrete critical evidence that the film merits distribution attention.

Filmmakers cannot apply for FIPRESCI prizes directly. The federation's juries are assembled at each festival by FIPRESCI in coordination with the festival administration. Films are eligible based on their selection by the festival programmers, not by separate FIPRESCI submission. If your film is selected for a FIPRESCI-partnered festival section, it is automatically eligible for consideration by that festival's FIPRESCI jury.

The FIPRESCI prize often draws attention to emerging filmmakers and outstanding works that deserve wider international recognition but may have been overlooked by official juries. For first-time directors, a FIPRESCI prize in a parallel section (Directors' Fortnight, Critics' Week, Panorama, Forum) can be the first major international recognition of their career.

Notable Prize Winners

FIPRESCI presented its first festival award at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, awarding the prize jointly to David Lean's Brief Encounter and Georges Rouquier's Farrebique. At the 79th Cannes Film Festival (May 2026), FIPRESCI awarded prizes to Fjord by Cristian Mungiu (Official Competition), Ben'Imana by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo (Un Certain Regard), and A Girl Unknown by Jing Zou (Parallel sections). At the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (February 2026), winners included 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). At the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (January-February 2026), the FIPRESCI prize went to Supporting Role by Ana Urushadze (Georgia). At the 2026 European Film Awards, Laura Carrita won the European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI for On Falling (UK, Portugal). The Documentary Grand Prix was first announced at the Berlinale 2026, with five nominated films.

What Makes a Prize-Winning Film Stand Out

FIPRESCI juries operate independently from official festival juries. A FIPRESCI prize is a pure critical judgment, undiluted by the diplomatic considerations that can shape official jury decisions. For films seeking international distribution deals at markets following a festival premiere, FIPRESCI recognition provides concrete critical evidence that the film merits distribution attention. The prize is particularly valuable for debut and early-career filmmakers. The federation awards prizes not only in official competition sections but also in parallel sections devoted to new directors and emerging cinema (Directors' Fortnight, Critics' Week, Panorama, Forum). This parallel-section recognition draws attention to films that may not yet be positioned for official competition prizes but deserve wider international recognition. For first-time directors, a FIPRESCI prize in a parallel section can be the first major international recognition of their career.

Watch

See Also

For the European Film Academy that co-presents the European Discovery prize with FIPRESCI, see European Film Academy in this directory. For FIAPF, which accredits the festivals where FIPRESCI juries operate, see FIAPF in this directory. For how festival prizes affect distribution deals, see Distribution Deals Explained. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate whether a festival submission is worth the cost.