La Gradiva Wins Grand Prize at Cannes Critics’ Week
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- La Gradiva – French director Marine Atlan’s film won the Ami Paris Grand Prize at Cannes Critics’ Week, the top award in the parallel competition.
- Jury – The Critics’ Week jury was chaired by Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia and included actor Théodore Pellerin, singer‑songwriter Oklou, producer Ama Ampadu, and journalist Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.
- In Waves – Phuong Mai Nguyen’s animated feature In Waves, based on AJ Dungo’s graphic novel, will open the 65th edition of Cannes Critics’ Week.
- Rising Star Award – Actress and director Aina Clotet received the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for her debut feature Viva, a comedy about a woman coping with breast cancer during a heat wave.
- Gan Foundation Award – Zou Jiung’s drama A Girl Unknown earned the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution, which will fund its French release through Pyramide Distribution.
- SACD Award – The SACD Award for best screenplay went to Blerta Basholli and Nicole Borgeat for the coming‑of‑age drama Dua, set on the eve of the Kosovo War.
- Selection – This year’s Critics’ Week presented 11 feature‑length films and ten short works, chosen from 1,050 submissions.
Why it matters: The Grand Prize elevates Marine Atlan’s profile, positioning La Gradiva for broader distribution and funding, while the Gan Foundation award secures a French theatrical rollout for A Girl Unknown, directly advancing the market reach of emerging European cinema and amplifies the festival’s role as a launchpad for new voices.
