The 2026 awards were presented following the deliberations of the Festival’s official jury, chaired by Pierre Rasamoela, alongside jury members Svetlana Trébulle, Geneviève Anhoury, Liza Paturel and Lewis Eizykman. The Young Audience Award was presented by Chloé Mays, representing the Festival’s Young Jury.
The 16th edition of the Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire concluded in Paris with the announcement of its 2026 award winners.
Held from 16 to 18 September 2026 at the Christine Cinéma Club, the Festival presented 26 short films from 12 countries across three evenings of international competition. The edition was held under the patronage of the French National Commission for UNESCO.
This year’s award-winning films reflected the richness of contemporary short filmmaking, bringing together live action, animation, stop-motion, visual effects and handcrafted techniques. Their stories explored memory, education, health, climate, peace, community and the power of imagination.
The 2026 Jury
The official jury brought together filmmakers, artists and film-industry professionals with complementary experience across directing, screenwriting, acting, production, visual effects and art–science filmmaking:
- Pierre Rasamoela — President of the Jury
- Svetlana Trébulle — Jury Member
- Geneviève Anhoury — Jury Member
- Liza Paturel — Jury Member
- Lewis Eizykman — Jury Member
- Chloé Mays — Young Jury Member
Together, they recognised films distinguished by the strength of their storytelling, artistic vision, technical achievement and engagement with contemporary issues.
Young Jury – Chloé Mays
Bringing the perspective of a new generation of film lovers, Chloé Mays selected the film that spoke most powerfully to younger audiences and presented the Young Audience Award
The 2026 Award Winners
Best Film
Above — Dmitry Borzykin · Russia
🎓 SDG 4 — Quality Education
Through its distinctive visual universe and thoughtful exploration of learning and perception, Above received the Festival’s highest distinction.
Best Animated Film
El Din — Julien Regnard and Pascal Giraud · Belgium / France
🏙️ SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
The jury recognised El Din for its strong artistic identity, accomplished animation and evocative vision of the spaces and communities we inhabit.
Best Screenplay
Sulaimani — Vinnie Anne Bose · France
🎓 SDG 4 — Quality Education
Combining stop-motion puppetry and animated ink, Sulaimani presents two intertwined portraits of women from Kerala. The film was awarded for the strength, sensitivity and structure of its storytelling.
Best Visual Effects
Strive — Jussi Rautaniemi · Finland
💚 SDG 3 — Good Health and Well-being
Strive received the Best Visual Effects Award for the way its technical and visual achievements serve an emotionally powerful story.
Best Music
Our Fleeting Soul (Nos âmes fugitives) — Marin Caquez, Eva-Louise Moreau and Nour Kharraz · France
💚 SDG 3 — Good Health and Well-being
The film received the Best Music Award for a musical composition that accompanies its exploration of memory, Alzheimer’s disease and the enduring emotional connections that remain when memories begin to fade.
Jury Award
Omnivore — Daria Garonika · Russia
🕊️ SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
The jury distinguished Omnivore for its singular cinematic approach and its reflection on the choices that shape individuals and societies.
SDG Award
The Cloud Herder — Aidan McAteer · Ireland
🌍 SDG 13 — Climate Action
In this fantastical fable, an elderly shepherdess protects her flock of clouds from a fierce storm that she has herself caused. The film received the SDG Award for its poetic exploration of responsibility towards the world we inhabit.
Young Audience Award
Gian — Hamed Yousefi · Iran
💚 SDG 3 — Good Health and Well-being
Gian received the Young Audience Award.
Special Mention
Sequencial — Bruno Caetano · France, Italy, Poland and Portugal
🎓 SDG 4 — Quality Education
The jury awarded a Special Mention to Sequencial
Cinema in Dialogue with the Sustainable Development Goals
For the first time, the Festival placed films whose themes naturally lent themselves to the approach in dialogue with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This perspective is to offers a shared language through which audiences, schools, cultural institutions and international organisations can continue conversations around education, health, equality, climate action, peace and sustainable communities.
The 2026 edition highlighted eight Sustainable Development Goals across the official selection: SDGs 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13 and 16.
The Festival warmly congratulates all the award-winning filmmakers and thanks the members of the jury, the participating artists, its partners, volunteers and audiences for making this 16th edition possible.
The 16th edition of the Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire was held under the patronage of the French National Commission for UNESCO.
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