The jury
Renaud Baronian (France), Pamela Jahn (UK), Elvira Del Guercio (Italy), Thierry Meranger (France), Ivonete Pinto (Brazil), Pouya Aghelizadeh (Iran), Edin Čusto (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tilda Li (China), Mohamed Allal (Algeria)
Awarded films
-
Fjord by
Cristian Mungiu
(Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, 2026, 146 min) -
Ben'Imana by
Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo
(Rwanda, Gabon, France, Norway, Côte d'Ivoire, 2026, 101 min) -
A Girl Unknown by
Jing Zou
(France, China, 2026, 128 min)
Reports
- Fjord: A Brilliant Modern Drama Between Two Extremes by Renaud Baronian
- Ben’Imana: Memory and Forgiveness After the Rwandan Genocide by Ivonete Pinto
- Queer Masculinity at War: Four Competition Films at Cannes 2026 by Edin Čusto
- A Girl Unknown: The Fragile Weight of Identity by Mohamed Allal
- Toxic Families, Where Is Home? Four East Asian Films from the 79th Cannes Film Festival by Tilda Li
- A French Animated Superhero in Cannes: On Louis Clichy’s Iron Boy by Thierry Meranger
- Beyond the Boundaries of Language: Cinema in Its Purest Form by Pouya Aghelizadeh
- Under Scrutiny: Women Seen, Judged, and Rewritten at Cannes 79 by Elvira Del Guercio
The jury of the International Federation of Film Critics have awarded the International Critics’ Prize to the following films:
- In the Official Selection – Competition:
FJORD by Cristian MUNGIU
«A poignant, tense, and deeply moving drama that leaves the audience to consider the arguments on both sides of the legal battle, while mirroring the extreme environment we live in today.»
- In the Official Selection – Un Certain Regard:
BEN’IMANA by Marie-Clémentine DUSABEJAMBO
«In a world marked by cruelty and mass violence, this first debut film from the female perspective highlights resistance to forgetting and the need for reconciliation.»
- To a first feature film in the parallel sections, Directors’ Fortnight or
Critic’s Week:
A GIRL UNKNOWN by Jing Zou
(presented at the Critic’s Week)
«For its restrained and deeply affecting exploration of abandonment and displacement in the context of China’s one-child policy, anchored by intimate performances and atmospheric cinematography.»
FIPRESCI Cocktail, held with the kind support of the Egyptian Pavilion, once again brought together film critics, filmmakers, and festival partners on the shores of the Côte d’Azur during the Cannes Film Festival.
Find the results of the FIPRESCI-FNE Critics’ Poll