On Falling Wins the Prix FIPRESCI for European Discovery 2026

At the 38th European Film Awards in Berlin, the Prix FIPRESCI for European Discovery was awarded to On Falling, the debut feature by Portuguese director Laura Carreira. The decision highlights the role of international film critics in identifying emerging voices in European cinema at an early stage of their careers.

Prix FIPRESCI European Discovery 2026

The Prix FIPRESCI for European Discovery 2026 was awarded to On Falling (On Falling, 2024, directed by Laura Carreira), a co-production between the United Kingdom and Portugal. The award was presented in the framework of the 38th European Film Awards, recognizing a director’s first full-length fiction feature.

On first receiving the prize, Laura Carreira, Portuguese filmmaker and director, addressed the significance of critical recognition at the beginning of a career. “It is hard to take risks on the very first film of a director’s career,” she said in a statement to FIPRESCI. “Winning this award will give me the strength to take further risks with my next feature.”

Selection Committee and Nominated Films

The shortlist for the European Discovery award was selected by a committee coordinated for FIPRESCI by Paola Casella, Italian film critic and programmer, FIPRESCI Vice President. The committee included FIPRESCI members Salome Kikaleishvili from Georgia, and Max Borg from Switzerland.

In addition to On Falling, the nominated films were:

• Little Trouble Girls (Little Trouble Girls, 2024, directed by Urška Djukić), Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, and Serbia
• My Father’s Shadow (My Father’s Shadow, 2024, directed by Akinola Davies Jr.), United Kingdom and Nigeria
• One of Those Days When Hemme Dies (One of Those Days When Hemme Dies, 2024, directed by Murat Fıratoğlu), Turkey and Germany
• Sauna (Sauna, 2024, directed by Mathias Broe), Denmark
• Under the Grey Sky (Under the Grey Sky, 2024, directed by Mara Tamkovich), Poland

The selection reflects a broad geographical range and a diversity of thematic and stylistic approaches within contemporary European and transnational cinema.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony took place on January 17, 2026, at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Germany, as part of the official program of the European Film Awards.

©FIPRESCI 2026