The 79° edition of le Festival de Cannes took place 13-26 May 2026 with the 6 international members of the Ecumenical Jury. The jury members are nominated every year by SIGNIS and INTER FILM since 1974. They give their prize to a film in competition in the Official Selection.
The Ecumenical Prize 2026 :
FJORD by Cristian Mungui (Romania, 2026, 2h26)
The jury motivation : The Ecumenical Jury of the 79th Cannes Film Festival has chosen a film that, above all, stands out for the artistic excellence of its cinematic form in every respect. We believe that the award-winning film serves as a powerful warning against the risks posed by the ideological drift of both the faith and the necessary denunciation of any form of violence against the most vulnerable. Both are hopeful approaches which can become corrupted when, reduced to a mere set of rules, prevent us from seeing the humanity of others—and perhaps our own. In its exploration of the central conflict between different convictions, the award-winning film not only questions the boundaries between the public and private spheres but does so with great narrati8ve skill, interweaving the individual stories of complex and profound characters. Finally, it should be noted that this is a film that raises many questions and appeals to the viewer’s experience to answer them, thus constituting a rich work of art for debate and reflection. For all these reasons, the Ecumenical Jury has decided to award its prize to the film FJORD by Directed by Christian Mungiu.
The jury members : Annette Gjerde-Hansen – (Norway), Jakob Hoffmann – (Germany), Catherine Escrive – (France), Adrian Baccaro – (Argentine), Vincent Miéville – (France), Ruben de la Prida Caballero – (Spain)