Ukrainian Film 'Honeymoon' Wins Cannes Dream Prize
SkimNews Take
The "Build Your Dream" prize, uniting a European media group and a Chinese EV maker, signals a new form of cross-cultural soft power, leveraging film to bridge diverse geopolitical interests.
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- Honeymoon won the inaugural Build Your Dream award at Cannes on May 14, 2026.
- Build Your Dream prize includes a $46,539 grant for the filmmaker’s next feature.
- Chen Kaige chaired the jury that selected the winner, which also included Mélanie Laurent, Hafsia Herzi, Yann Demange, and Thierry Chèze.
- Mediawan partnered with BYD to create the award, highlighting a cross‑industry collaboration between French media and Chinese EV manufacturing.
- Zhanna Ozirna announced two upcoming projects—“Ground Zero” about Ukraine’s communist era and “Intimacy” about disabled veterans.
Why it matters: The $46,539 grant gives Ozirna resources to produce her next film, bolstering Ukraine’s struggling independent cinema while Mediawan‑BYD’s partnership showcases how Chinese EV firms and French media can amplify war‑torn narratives.
