At the May 19 close of Cannes Docs 2026, section head Pierre-Alexis Chevit hosted the Docs-in-Progress Awards Ceremony during which this year’s winners were announced. Over the past days, eight showcases of docs-in-progress from around the world were presented, totalling 33 new creative documentary projects. The big winner was Super Sila by Mohammed Alshareef [Palestine Showcase] which won both the IEFTA Award and the Al Jazeera Documentary Award. All awards…
- IEFTF AWARD: €10,000 cash prize and project follow-up by IEFTF – The International Emerging Film Talent Fund. WINNER: Super Sila by Mohammed Alshareef [Palestine Showcase] Jury citation: Set in the current dystopia of the post-October 7th Gaza Strip, this first-person account centres on the constant endeavours by two parents to create an imaginary world for their toddler, Sila, in which she is the main character, a super hero, invested with powers to ward off dark forces. The make-believe universe that the Alshareef family conjures into existence for Sila is their attempt to distract and shield her from the harsh realities that mark their everyday lives, by integrating them into the fabricated narrative that is Super Sila. Yet as the family shudders at the continual artillery fire, jet aircraft and explosions, we begin to question whether Sila too can distinguish between the superhero fiction and reality.
- AL JAZEERA DOCUMENTARY AWARD: Al Jazeera Documentary to come in as co-producer, with a minimum contribution of $15,000. WINNER Super Sila by Mohammed Alshareef [Palestine Showcase]
- TRANSPERFECT MEDIA POST-PRODUCTION AWARD: €5,000 grant in post-production services, thanks to the participation of TransPerfect Media, Official Partner of the Festival de Cannes. WINNER: Burning Daddy by Tana Gilbert [Chile-Colombia Showcase] Jury citation: Through an intimate and deeply personal perspective, the film explores family trauma through a highly creative visual, artistic, and narrative approach, expanding the possibilities of cinematic form. With an original, honest, and courageous voice, it confronts us with an issue that continues to reveal the profound scars of a system that has oppressed, and still oppresses, women through multiple forms of violence.
- RISE AND SHINE AWARD: For the creative documentary project with the best international commercial / audience potential and no sales agent attached yet. The award consists of a €3,000 cash prize awarded to the producer of the project. WINNER: Black Dad Buko by Simon Klose [The Five Nordics Showcase] Jury citation: This is a compelling and universal story of a father-son conflict leading to action and reconciliation. Treating contemporary issues of race, transatlantic migration, artistic performance, and historic investigation through succinct storytelling, the project promises a powerfully heartfelt and thoughtful movie experience.
- AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY AWARD: $2.500 cash award for a project exploring the expansiveness of diversity, and follow-up first look option for a possible U.S. digital distribution through AmDoc platforms. WINNER: Chilapa’s Girl by Juana Lotero [Chile-Colombia Showcase] Jury citation: Set in the forested region close to the Colombian-Panamanian border, this observational, vérité-style portrait chronicles the intertwined journeys of adolescence and teenage motherhood of the film’s protagonist with a gentle, inquisitive and intimate gaze. In doing so, the film charts the gradual formation of its lead character’s identity, set against the omnipresent backdrop of patriarchy and gender relations affected by structural violence.
- ALPHAPANDA AWARD: Two sessions of marketing consultancy with Alphapanda team members + the creation of an artwork for the film. WINNER: The Undermine by Alice Nelson [Scotland Showcase]
- THINK-FILM IMPACT AWARD: A strategic impact workshop, given by the Think-Film Impact Production team. WINNER: Gaza Sunbirds by Flavia Cappellini [Palestine Showcase]
- RULLI PUTORTÌ & PARTNERS LAW FIRM AWARD: Three 2-hour long legal support consultations with Anna Lisa Putortì and Diana Rulli, entertainment lawyers & film legal experts. WINNER: Antipodal Dreams by Juanita Onzaga [Chile-Colombia Showcase]
- DAE AWARD: Free one-year memberships for the team, with all associated benefits, and a rough-cut consultation with one of DAE’s senior advisors. WINNER: Baba by Giacomo Fausti and Laila Sit Aboha [Palestine Showcase]
- DOCUMENTARY MAGAZINE AWARD: A full-page announcement of the winning project in the Documentary Magazine Summer 2026 issue, + a dedicated interview or profile of the winning filmmakers to be published in a later print issue of Documentary Magazine (annual global readership of 12k in print and 540k digitally). WINNER: Ba’s Book, by Ashley Duong [Canada Showcase]
Further jury citations to be added…
