64th Semaine de la Critique Award Winners

Cannes parallel section just came to an end with the awards announced at the closing ceremony yesterday, May 21st, 2025 by jury president Rodrigo Sorogoyen and jury members Jihane Bougrine, Josée Deshaies, Yulina Evina Bhara and Daniel Kaluuya.

The Winners

Feature Films

Grand Prix:  ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ Pee Chai Dai Ka (A Useful Ghost), Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Thailand, France, Singapore and Germany 1st film

Prix French Touch Prize of the Jury:  Imago, Déni Oumar Pitsaev Oumar Pitsaev, France and Belgium (documentary) 1st film

Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Théodore Pellerin in Nino, Pauline Loquès, France 1st film

Gan Foundation Award for Distribution: Le Pacte, French distributor of 左撇子女孩 Left-Handed Girl, Shih-Ching Tsou, Taiwan, France, USA, and UK 1st film

SACD Award: Guillermo Galoe and Victor Alonso-Berbel authors of Ciudad Sin Sueño (Sleepless City), Guillermo Galoe, Spain and France 1st film

Short Films

Leitz Cine Discovery for Short Film:  مينا L'mina, Randa Maroufi, Morocco, France, Italy and Qatar 26'

Canal+ Award for Short Film:  Erogenesis, Xandra Popescu, Germany 15'

To check award winners plus info about each film go to official site here.

Next Step Award

Since 2014, La Semaine de la Critique has been supporting talented short-film directors in making their first feature film through its Next Step program, designed for filmmakers who have previously presented a short film at La Semaine de la Critique. After presenting their short film in Cannes, they are invited to come to Paris in December to take part in a workshop. Over the course of a week, international consultants will advise them on their script, their film score, and on how to launch their film on the market. It is also an opportunity to initiate possible collaborations with French co-producers, sales agents, and distributors during professional meetings in Paris. Since 2022, the collaboration with the Morelia Film Festival has been strengthened by welcoming a Mexican filmmaker to the Next Step programme. For the 2025 edition, a new partnership was inaugurated with Projeto Paradiso, featuring the invitation of a Brazilian project.

This year the project The Last Tears of the Deceased by Beza Hailu Lemma (Ethiopia, Canada and France) won the award and was given by jury composed of Priscilla Bertin (Silex Films), Stefano Centini (Volos Films) and Gabor Greiner (Films Boutique).