Cannes 2025: EU-Supported Films Shine – and Distributors Make Sure Europe Sees Them

The 78th Cannes Film Festival closed with a celebration of European talent—and a standout showing for films supported by the EU’s Creative Europe MEDIA programme. From the Grand Prix to performance honours, EU-backed cinema demonstrated its continued creative power on the world stage.

Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value took home the prestigious Grand Prix, while Oliver Laxe’s Sirât earned the Jury Prize. In a strong showing for new voices, Nadia Melliti won Best Performance for her role in La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi, and The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Céspedes received the Un Certain Regard Prize.

Beyond the official competition, MEDIA-supported films also left a mark in parallel sections: Pee Chai Dai Ka (A Useful Ghost) by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke won the Grand Prix of La Semaine de la Critique, while Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev received the French Touch Jury Award and L’Oeil d’Or, a special prize for documentary film.

In total, 23 MEDIA-supported films were nominated at Cannes 2025—a resounding affirmation of the programme’s unique role in nurturing European stories and voices.

Yet these creative triumphs only reach audiences because of the vital role of Europe’s film distributors. Distributors across the FIAD membership work tirelessly to ensure that acclaimed works like Sentimental Value or Imago are not only celebrated at festivals, but seen and appreciated by audiences across Europe. From subtitling to local marketing campaigns, from scheduling to audience development, distributors connect films to people—and help turn award-winning art into shared cultural experiences.

As Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, noted:

“These prestigious prizes demonstrate the creative and commercial strength of European cinema. The Creative Europe MEDIA programme continues to support European films and works. I am proud to see these productions in the spotlight at Cannes Film Festival.”

FIAD congratulates the winning teams, and salutes the MEDIA programme for its continued impact. European cinema shines brightest when creative excellence meets dedicated distribution—and Cannes 2025 was proof of just that.