Six EU-backed films have won awards at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, including the Palme d’Or

Six films that received funding from the European Union won awards at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which drew to a close on Saturday 23 May.

The big winner of the night wasFjörd, by director Cristian Mungiu, whose development was funded by the EU and which won the prestigious Palme d’Or. Two further productions backed by the MEDIA programme won awards in the Official Competition:Das Geträumte Abenteuer (The Dreamed Adventure) by Valeska Grisebach, which received co-development support, won the Jury Prize, whilstNotre Salutby Emmanuel Marre won the Best Screenplay Award. Coward, by Lukas Dhont, which benefited from the film distribution support programme, saw its two leads, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, win the Best Actor Award.

In the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section,Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah, a project supported by the MEDIA 360° programme, won the Jury Prize, whilstSiempre soy tu animal materno by Valentina Maurel won the Best Actress Award for its three leading ladies.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “Congratulations to all the outstanding European productions at this year’s Cannes Film Festival!The work of European filmmakers is a testament to creativity, cooperation and talent. We celebrate these values and continue to provide ongoing support to Europe’s creative industries through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the future AgoraEU programme.”

This year, 19 EU-funded films were selected for the festival, seven of which were in the running for the Palme d’Or. The Creative Europe MEDIA programme supported these works and their distribution with a total investment of €1.17 million.

For 35 years, MEDIA has supported European audiovisual productions, promoting the continent’s cultural diversity and strengthening the competitiveness of its creative industry. The success of this programme paves the way for the future AgoraEU programme, which is set to continue supporting European filmmakers and creators, as well as contributing to the expression of Europe’s diversity and heritage.

You can find out more about the EU’s audiovisual and media policies.

Further information: European Commission Representation in Spain.