French short films tour the world: April 2026

11 MAY 2026

News in brief

An overview of French short films that traveled in April to international festivals supported by Unifrance.

🏆Awards for French short films 🏆

➡️ The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) awarded one French short film.

The Firebird Award in the Short Film Competition went to God is Shy by Jocelyn Charles.

➡️ In the United States, Aspen Shortsfest honored two French works.

Pale Sun by Adrian Moyse Dullin and Jawahine Zentar received two awards: the Jury Award for Drama and the Special Mention Youth Jury Award.
The Jury Award for Animation went to Sulaimani by Vinnie Ann Bose.

Pale Sun

➡️ Go Short, the international short film festival in Nijmegen, crowned four short films from various genres.

European Competition: Best International Short Fiction: Bleu Heart by Samuel Suffren.
European Competition: Best International Animation: God is Shy by Jocelyn Charles
European Competition: Best International Documentary: Daria's Night Flowers by Maryam Tafakory.
Candidate for the European Film Awards: L'mina by Randa Maroufi.

➡️ At the Cleveland International Film Festival, two French short films won prizes.

The Best Animated Short Jury Award went to Susurros by Alexandra Pewinski.
Diego by Mélissa Silveira received the Best Live Action Short Jury Award.

Diego

➡️ A trio of French works won awards at the Filmfest Dresden in Germany.

S the Wolf by Sameh Alaa received the Golden Horseman of the Audience.
L'mina by Randa Maroufi received the Golden Horseman Sound Design.
Chien de sables by Fabien Dao received the Dresden Short Film Award of the German Film Critics Association.

L'mina

➡️ Visions du Réel, a festival dedicated to documentaries, awarded one French short.

Guided Tour by Alba Jaramillo received the Jury Prize for Best Short Film.

➡️ The Brussels Short Film Festival (BSFF) honored French cinema with ten awards. Three shorts even received two awards.

Faux bijoux by Jessy Moussallem received the International Competition Grand Prix and the Award for Best Actress.
That Which Does Not Exist Does Not Exist by Guillaume Senez, Franck Morand and Lazare Gousseau the International Competition Audience Award and the National Competition Federation Wallonia Brussels Award.
Take good care by Mathilde Blanc received the National Competition Award for Best Actress and the "RTBF - La Trois" Award.
Vultures by Dian Weys won the International Competition Jury Award.
No Skate! by Guil Sela won the International Competition Audience Award.
The National Competition Award for Best Actor went to Bread and Games by Judith Longuet-Marx and Léa Tarral.
The Spectacle by Bálint Kenyeres received an International Competition Special Jury Mention.

Faux bijoux

✈️ The following people received travel funding ✈️

To mark the 140th anniversary of Franco-Korean friendship, Unifrance partnered with the Busan International Short Film Festival to enable five filmmakers to attend the festival with their films. The delegation included Paul Rigoux, Tommy Baron, Hakim Atoui, David Ingels, and Andy Buron.

Four of them told us about the festival’s excellent organization, the quality of its programming, and their meaningful interactions with the audience.

Paul Rigoux, who presented his film There's Always Something Missing (Especially When You Don't Know What You're Looking For) in International Competition, had nothing but praise for the event: “Everything was perfect. Beyond the unforgettable trip, the screenings took place at the Busan Cinema Center, a magnificent building dedicated to cinema (where BIFF is held). Impeccable organization, a high-quality selection, flawless screenings, and Q&As (two, following the screenings) featuring well-prepared, thoughtful, and relevant questions from both the festival team and the audience.”
Andy Buron, who presented his film In the Mud, praised the festival staff’s attentive support and the special interactions with the audience: “Whether in the lead-up via email or during the festival, the staff of the Busan International Short Film Festival went above and beyond to ensure that all the filmmakers had a great time at the festival. The welcome I received was very warm, and all the information provided was very clear.”

Hakim Atoui (director of The Man in the Showers) was equally enthusiastic and full of praise for the excellence of the program and the depth of the Q&As: “Honestly, this is one of the strongest lineups I’ve ever seen. The films were of a very high standard, and above all, the flow of the screenings was particularly well thought out: there was a real common thread, the works engaged in a dialogue with one another, responding to each other, creating a very coherent viewing experience. (...) As for the Q&As, I was impressed by how well-prepared they were. The moderators had clearly watched the films closely and asked precise, relevant questions, which allowed the discussions to go beyond the usual exchanges.”

Tommy Baron, who accompanied Curiosity on Planet Mars (National Competition) said: “It’s a festival worth attending and one that holds a unique position in Korea. It’s a historic, decentralized event.”