European Commission - Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology

05/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/26/2026 05:42

Six EU-supported films awarded at 2026 Cannes Film Festival, including prestigious Palme d'Or

Six EU funded films have received awards at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which closed on Saturday 23 May.

Fjörd, by Cristian Mungiu, which received EU support for its development, was the great winner, being awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or. Two further MEDIA-supported films took home major prizes in the Official Competition: Das Geträumte Abenteuer ('The Dreamed Adventure') by Valeska Grisebach received the Jury Prize, having benefited from co-development support, while Notre Salut ('A Man of His Time') by Emmanuel Marre won the Best Screenplay award. Coward by Lukas Dhont, supported through the film distribution scheme, brought home the Best Actor prize for its two lead performers, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne.

In the Un Certain Regard section, Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah - a MEDIA 360° supported project - won the Jury Prize, while Siempre soy tu animal materno ('Forever Your Maternal Animal') by Valentina Maurel earned the Best Actresses prize for its three lead performers.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said:

"Congratulations to all European productions in the spotlight of this year's Cannes Film Festival! The work of European filmmakers showcases creativity, collaboration and talent. We celebrate these values and continuously support Europe's creative industries through the current Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the future AgoraEU programme."

This year, 19 EU-funded films were nominated at the Cannes Film Festival, of which seven were competing for the Palm d'Or. The Creative Europe MEDIA programme supported these works and their distribution with a total of €1.17 million.

For the past 35 years, MEDIA has been supporting European audiovisual content, promoting Europe's cultural diversity and enhancing the competitiveness of its creative industry. The success of the MEDIA programme paves the way for the proposed AgoraEU programme, which will continue supporting European filmmakers and creators, as well as contributing to the expression of Europe's diversity and heritage.

Read more about the EU audiovisual and media policies.

European Commission - Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology published this content on May 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 26, 2026 at 11:42 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]