Cannes Film Awards

Welcome to one of the world’s most popular film festivals, CANNES FILM AWARDS! ⭐

We have opened submissions for films, music videos, screenplays, photographers, web series, and TV series. For the very first time, we have also introduced special categories dedicated to AI films, VR, games, and 360° videos.

Filmmakers can compete for exciting prizes ranging from cash awards to promotional and educational rewards, including exclusive Masterclasses with some of the world’s leading filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street), James Cameron (Titanic), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), and Hans Zimmer (Interstellar).

Each year, the festival also welcomes several celebrities. During Cannes Film Awards 2026, we were greeted by popular actor Kevin L. Johnson, known from Netflix series such as Ozark and Stranger Things. Cannes Film Awards 2027 will once again welcome more celebrities — and you can be part of it.

The festival takes place at Olympia Cinema, located right in Cannes, just a few minutes’ walk from Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Olympia is not just a single cinema — it features 9 screening rooms, including the large “Prestige” auditorium equipped with Dolby Atmos and laser projection. It also hosts screenings for the Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des Cinéastes), which has historically discovered many significant filmmakers outside the Hollywood mainstream.

Please note that our festival, Cannes Film Awards, does not collaborate with, is not affiliated with, and has no connection to Festival de Cannes / Cannes Film Festival.

Invited filmmakers attending the festival can look forward to RED CARPET PHOTOS, DRINKS, AN AMAZING ATMOSPHERE, A HOST, HOSTESSES, NETWORKING PARTIES, and much more. Winning filmmakers can also receive exciting rewards such as a Biennale Card, which allows the purchase of accreditation for the Venice International Film Festival, VIP interviews, social media promotion, e-mail blast promotion, a MUBI 3-month subscription, and cultural gift cards.

For years, FilmFreeway has consistently ranked Cannes Film Awards among the Top 10 most popular film festivals on the platform. We have also remained on the list of the Top 100 highest-rated festivals among more than 12,000 festivals worldwide. Currently, we are ranked as the #1 most popular film festival in the European Union.

Our festival is considered one of the best film festivals for first and second-time directors. We offer you a platform to promote your film, yourself, your production company, and much more. Our mission is to raise awareness and support various aspects of international cinema in all its forms. We aim to introduce new filmmakers to the world — filmmakers who may one day stand on the Oscar stage.

Before receiving recognition at the Oscars, their films were screened at our festival. In recent years, we have hosted films by Antony Nti (OSCAR Shortlist), Elvira Lind (OSCAR Nominee), and Georgi M. Unkovski (OSCAR Shortlist). All interested filmmakers may also participate in our Cannes Film Market, where anyone can apply to present and promote their project to distributors, producers, and potential buyers.

Our partners include: Olympia Cinema, Variétés Movie Theatre, Film Daily, Vents Magazine, Falcon Dynamics, JAM Homemade Cuisine, and FilmFreeway.

You are probably wondering who will be watching the selected projects. Our international jury brings together filmmakers, producers, screenwriters, animators, and film industry professionals from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The jury combines award-winning independent artists with professionals who have collaborated with companies such as Netflix, BBC, Amazon, NBCUniversal, Canal+, Showmax, and international film festivals.

The jury consists of directors, documentary filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, critics, and broadcasters working across feature films, television, animation, horror cinema, travel documentaries, and socially engaged storytelling.

Among the jury members is Los Angeles-based director James Pratt (Australia/USA), winner of the Best Feature Film Director award at Cannes Film Awards, whose career includes Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning productions. German filmmaker Tatiana Dutuit-Sauter brings experience in animation, visual arts, and genre filmmaking, while South African producer Bonie Sithebe has 17 years of experience working with major African television networks and streaming platforms.

French filmmaker Choukri Rouha, recognized through Canal+ Talents and the Orange–Beaumarchais Award, represents socially engaged European cinema. British screenwriter Luke Roberts contributes experience from award-winning short films, BBC-related projects, and screenplay consulting. The jury also includes Filipino filmmaker and producer Charlie Garcia Vitug, documentary filmmaker Karen Sailer, and British producer and director Stephanie Keelan, who has collaborated with BBC, Netflix, Amazon, Channel 4, and Virgin Atlantic.

Together, the jury represents a diverse balance of creative disciplines, generations, cultures, and cinematic perspectives, with the goal of supporting independent filmmaking around the world.

Here is what previous festival participants have said about us:
“An amazing festival that helps discover young filmmaking talents! Thank you very much for organizing this wonderful event.” — Pierre Descamps, French director and screenwriter

“A fantastic experience with a festival team that clearly did an exceptional job evaluating and presenting works from around the world.” — Crystal Stevens, American screenwriter

“It will be a memory and experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you for giving my film a chance — honestly, it means everything to me.” — Matthew Ewald, American actor and filmmaker

We are waiting for your project!
See you in Cannes on June 26, 2027!