Awards of the seventh Fipadoc international documentary festival in Biarritz

A few words from the jury:

« Very admiring of the tenacity and the courage it took for the young Japanese journalist Shiori Itô to break the silence and bring to light the truth about the violence inflicted on her by a man close to the Prime Minister of her country, and deeply moved by the first-person cinematic story that she took from it, a story which reflects with great sincerity the many obstacles that she had to overcome throughout her fight, the fears, the pressures, her moments of doubt and of fragility, we decided to unanimously award the Fipadoc 2025 Grand Prix for International Documentary to the film Black Box Diaries. »

The jury : Nicolas Philibert, Mila Turajlìćm & Mandisa Zitha

The Grand Prix for International Documentary awards an international film that has not yet been released in France. The winner receives 5,000 € in prize money endowed by the Nouvelle Aquitaine region.  

Grand Prix for French Documentary

Bosco Grande by Giuseppe Schillaci (France - Italy)

A few words from the jury:

« The images freeze instantly in the mind: a gigantic body, lying still on a bed in a tiny room it almost fills entirely; a trapdoor opening onto a pulley system through which a pizza is lowered onto the floor; a gray-and-white cat searching for its owner among the empty beer bottles. These images provoke in the viewer a complex mix of comedy and despair, love and disgust—unprecedented images, the kind we expect cinema to show us. Giuseppe Schillaci filmed his friend Sergio for months— a tattoo artist and pillar of a community of former punks in Palermo, more or less worn down by life, whose lives remain intertwined. A huge man in every sense, weighing about 250 kilos, with an unconditional love for his friends and a very ambivalent relationship with his mother. The film offers a perspective of the working-class neighborhood of Bosco Grande, with a deliberately myopic gaze, drawing from this focus a particular authenticity in its depiction of the social and cultural margins. »

The jury: Lofti Achour, Lucile Commeaux & Claus Drexel 

The Grand Prix for French Documentary is awarded to the director of the best French film. It is endowed with €5,000 by the City of Biarritz.

Grand Prix for Musical Documentary

Soundtrack to a coup d’État by Johan Gimonprez (Belgium, France & Netherlands)

A few words from the jury:

« In the struggle of many African countries to reclaim their destiny, facing the economic and geostrategic interests of former colonizers and the two great East/West blocs, the figure of Patrice Lumumba stands as a symbol. In Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, his fight and assassination are told through not only the involvement but also the instrumentalization of the greatest jazz artists of the time. As a true actor in the drama unfolding, the music occupies a new, fundamental space. Radiating with sensual power, anger, and freedom, it is intertwined with archival footage and testimonies of incredible richness, in a montage that is both bold and virtuosic. The note (often blue), the word, and the image make this documentary a moment that is both moving and enlightening, as well as fascinating and unsettling, even in its ambiguities (the joviality of the opportunist Khrushchev). We are convinced that Max Roach's drums and Abbey Lincoln's cry will resonate long in the hearts and bodies of the audience. »

The jury: Stéphane Davet, Nicholas Mcroberts & Priscilla Pizzato

The Grand Prix for Musical Documentary is awarded to the director of the best international film about music or live performance. It is endowed with €5,000.

Grand Prix Impact Documentary

Yintah by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell & Michael Toledano (Canada)

A few words from the jury:

« In awarding the Impact Documentary Award to Yintah, we wish to salute a work that has touched us deeply with its powerful narrative and unique intensity. This exceptional documentary, the fruit of ten years' work by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell and Michael Toledano, plunges us into the heart of the resistance of the Wit'suwit'en, an Aboriginal people living in western Canada, against the construction of a pipeline threatening their ancestral lands. 

Alongside the bare-handed women warriors, the viewer experiences from the inside the unequal confrontation between a people who refuse to disappear and the relentless steamroller of economic imperialism, unchecked by the political leaders who are supposed to be preserving the living.

The cinematography, with its subtle, breathless imagery and chiselled sound, creates total immersion, making palpable the contrast between the clatter of industrial machinery mutilating the earth and the ancestral songs of humanity. Yintah, which means ‘earth’ in the Witsuwit'en language, is an electroshock. It is a source of inspiration that underlines the urgency of action and demonstrates the power of collective mobilisation across generations. This film perfectly embodies the spirit of the Impact Award, showing that resistance is a fire that is shared, and ignited particularly in the darkness of cinemas. »

The jury: Irène Challand, Sylvain Louvet & Olivier Saby

The Grand Prix Impact Documentary reward to the director of the best international film committed to human rights, social justice or the environment. The Grand Prix Impact Documentary Impact is doubly endowed by La Cinémathèque du documentaire and the Indarra Fund, with €5,000 each.

New AWARD – Human Rights in Motion Award 

Tata by Lina Vdovîi & Radu Ciorniciuc (Romania, Germany & Netherlands)

A few words from the jury:

« In awarding Tata, the Human Rights in Motion Award, our jury wishes to honour the work and commitment of Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc who, through this intimate, sincere and deeply moving story, shed a rare light on the issue of domestic violence and the exploitation of invisible workers in Europe.

Thanks to a subtle narrative combining hidden camera and direct cinema, Tata plunges us both into the brutal reality of exploited workers on Italian wine estates, contemporary slaves, and into the toxic family knots that are passed down from generation to generation. However, the film does not stop at making observations, and instead fights a real battle: that of breaking the chains of the reproduction of violence, denouncing the failings of institutions - administrative or religious - and calling for a collective awakening.

At the crossroads of Italy, Moldavia and Romania, Tata transcends borders and reminds us, with striking force, that human rights are an urgent collective issue, here and now, at the heart of Europe. Through its subtlety, courage and sensitivity, this is not just a film that challenges us: it is a work that invites us not to resign ourselves. »

The jury: Irène Challand, Sylvain Louvet & Olivier Saby

The Human Rights in Motion Award is awarded to the director of the best film promoting human rights or the fight for democratic values. It is awarded by the Impact Documentary Jury, and is endowed with €5,000 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

INA-madelen Audience Award

Golo et Ritchie by Martin Fougerol & Ahmed Hamidi (France)

The INA-Madelen Audience Award goes to the director of the best film in the Panorama de la création francophone, voted for by the Biarritz audience. It is endowed with €5,000 by the INA-madelen platform.

SMART Award

Human Violins by Ioana Mischie (Romania, France)

A few words from the jury:

« A violin string becomes barbed wire, giving life to a vibrant and poignant work. Its aesthetic, both minimalist and rich, stands out with its originality. The depth of the light intensifies the emotional weight of the narrative. This creation powerfully highlights the importance of art, and especially music, in our lives - how it touches us, elevates us, and soothes us. »

The jury: Roei Amit, Gordon & An Oost

The Smart Award rewards the best digital documentary experience, distinguished by its originality and the coherence between its content and the technologies used. It is endowed with €3,000 by the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department (64).

Short Film Award

Exit Through the Cuckoo’s Nest by Nikola Ilić (Switzerland)

A few words from the jury:

« To be “free” and “mad” for a young man in war by refusing to take a weapon and later on to bring his story as a cinematic confession requires a lot of courage. A film that impresses with the honest and urgent need of the director to be shared with the audience and skillfully combines an array of techniques to create an authentic visual style to serve the story. The jury decided to give the Short Film Documentary Award to the documentary Exit Through the Cuckoo’s Nest by Nikola Ilić. »

The jury: Pauline Horovitz, Anca Paunescu et Petrula Veljanovska

The Short Film Award is awarded to the director of the best international film under 20 minutes long. It is worth €3,000.

CINÉ+ Award

The Flats by Alessandra Celesia (France, Belgium, Ireland & United Kingdom)

 A few words from the jury:

“With a staging that invites the imagination while bringing to life wonderful, deeply endearing characters, true to their identity and reality, The Flats skillfully transports us to the heart of the traumatic history of a Belfast neighborhood saved by the solace of small, everyday joys. While the wounds of the past remain painfully open, the hope and attachment to family and friends stay unshaken, reinforcing a remarkable resilience that reminds us that wars, even lost ones, don't kill the will to live. »

The jury: Bruno Deloye, Elise Jalladeau & Emilio Maillé 

The Ciné+ Award is awarded to a feature-length documentary intended for theatrical release in France. Ciné+ will pay €15,000 for the rights.

SACEM Award for Original Score

The Watchman by Lou du Pontavice & Victoire Bonin Grais (France, Belgium)

A few words from the jury:

« The Sacem Award for Original Score is awarded to the music of the film The Watchman, composed by Camille El Bacha, for the choice of instrumentation, the quality of the musical interpretation, the original place of the music in the film as well as the way it evolves in tune with the story. Thanks to these bold choices, the music becomes a real character in the film - a rare quality that deserves to be acknowledged by this unanimously awarded prize. »

The jury: Bruno Coulais, Thierry Jousse & Carla Pallone

The Sacem Award for original score is awarded to the composer of a film in the national competition.

Young Europeans Jury Award

Murmuring Hearts by Vytautas Puidokas (Lithuania, France et Norway)

A few words from the jury:

“This year´s winning film traces a trail back to the origins of violence. It is a deeply personal and yet universal story about the frustrations of not belonging anywhere, set in the remote Lithuanian countryside. The film is intimate, original and of a harsh beauty. Some of its image’s border on the magical and kept haunting us throughout the deliberation process. We applaud the author´s courage and his sense for poetry within reality. The Award goes to Murmuring Hearts by Vytautas Puidokas.”

The jury: Diala Al Hindaoui, Hanis Bagashov, Bianca Delpiano, Marius Guihou, Philipp Schaeffer, Max Sorribas Bonel & Mila Taraczky

The Young Europeans Award is awarded to the director of the best film in the Histoires d'Europe competition. It is endowed with €3,000 by the Erasmus+ France / Education and Training agency.

New Talent Award

Confession by Rebeka Bizubová (Slovakia)

A few words from the jury:

« A film, in which the urgency to tell this story is undeniable.  

Without dramatizing or forcing the narrative, we experience tension all the way through. Yet the film remains subtle, gentle and calm. The director is vulnerable, brave and strong all together, using the camera as a tool to confront reality and fight demons. The film unveils a dialogue in which the protagonist tries to take back the power and words that were taken from her. In an impressive scene like we have never seen before. This film is sincere, coming from within and authentic. While this story is very personal, the film is universal in touching upon important societal issues we should all be talking about. We think this film can be very impactful and will leave you touched and empowered. »

The jury: Marko Grba Singh, Brice Larrieu & Niki Padidar

The New Talent Award is awarded to the best school film. It is endowed with €3,000.

PFDM Award

Sudan, Remember us by Hind Meddeb (France, Qatar & Tunisia)

A few words from the jury:

« We applaud the work of Hind Meddeb. The director captures the hope of a youth fighting for their freedom. Her closeness and intimacy with these young Sudanese, armed only with their poems and songs, awaken a deep empathy for their revolution. She films them at night, as if the darkness protects them from the military. It takes immense courage to film, just as it does to protest. The film tells the strength of the fight for freedom and urges us not to forget it! »

The jury: Claire Barrau, Nathalie Darrigrand & Elena Sender

The PFDM Award is awarded to the best French-speaking female director in the International Documentary, National Documentary, Music Documentary, Impact Documentary, Histoires d'Europe and Panorama de la création francophone competitions. It is endowed with €1,000 by the association Pour les femmes dans les médias.

Tënk Award

May it last by Louise Chauchat (France)

 A few words from the jury:

« Some investigations can be done while shopping at the supermarket. The one that concerns us here is done over the phone, through voice messages, texts, or live calls. It is done with a handheld camera, up close to the filmmaker-investigator, whether it is at her bedside table or while cooking zucchini. We talk about her love stories, and thus, of course, we end up talking about all our love stories, and everything that isn’t necessarily simple in those relationships.

Some investigations are intimate and personal yet speak to everyone: from a microcosm that could have seemed excluding, the filmmaker manages, through her humor and sincerity, to fully engage us. It is not just a small story: it is also a family story, and certainly a story of generations.

Couple stories are often about improvisation, so the director improvises, creating a film made from little things and inventiveness. We are with her, we either recognize ourselves or we do not, we listen to her podcasts, we wait—or not—for a text from the lover: it is an entirely subjective, first-person film. Louise Chauchat both reveals and hides herself in May it Last. It is the title of this compelling, free, light yet serious film, one that we are thrilled to award this year, on behalf of Tënk, the documentary film platform, the Tënk-Fipadoc Young Creation Award!

The Award we are presenting consists of the purchase of SVOD rights for a four-month distribution on Tenk.fr, as well as 500 euros for the filmmaker. We cannot wait to introduce this film to our subscribers! »

The Tënk Award is awarded to a film in the Young Creation competition. It is awarded by Tënk, which is offering €500 to the director and SVOD rights for two months' broadcast on the platform.

Michel Mitrani Discovery Award

Black Box by Shiori Itô (Japan)

A few words from the jury:

« We decided to award the first film of Japanese journalist and director Shiori Itô, Black Box. A masterful and moving debut, it confronts the taboo of rape—her own rape—within a Japanese society in deep denial. Both the author and the subject of her film, the director courageously portrays herself to denounce her abuser and document her legal battle, set against a backdrop of abuse of power and judicial corruption. A fight that will tear through the veil of silence in Japanese society, and a film whose flawless formal execution marks the emergence of a great director. »

The jury: Olivier de Bannes, Anne Dorr, Nadja Harek, Benoit Raio & San Lazaro

The Mitrani Award is awarded to the director of the best first or second film in the four main competitions (International Documentary, National Documentary, Music Documentary, Impact Documentary). It is endowed with €3,000 by France Télévisions and will be broadcast on one of its channels.

Coup de cœur dans les murs Award

Red Shadow over the White House by Antoine Vitkine (France)

Created in 2023, the Coup de Cœur dans les Murs Award is awarded by a jury made up of inmates from Bayonne prison. It is awarded to a film in the Panorama de la création francophone selection. 

◤ PALMARÈS FIPADOC PRO

Find out about the prizes awarded in the International Pitch Competition, the Regional First Film Pitch Competition and the European First Film Pitch Competition.

- Writing Grant TV7 of 1500€: PETITE GUERRE by Maria Gorkovskaya

- Writing grant KANALDUDE of 2000€ :COMMENT DEVENIR PUNK ? byMiren Dupouy

- FIRST FILM PITCHS AWARDRégion Nouvelle-Aquitaine : PETITE GUERRE by Maria Gorkovskaya

- Lightdox AWARD : LIMBS OF ONE BODY by Kaspar Panizza

- DOC AROUND EUROPE AWARD : CORDON by Anton Mezulić

- SAN SEBASTIÁN AWARD : TEHRAN, AUTO-IMMUNE by Afsaneh Salari

- DOK.FEST MÜNCHEN AWARD : TALKING OF GAZA by Tamara Erde & Haneen Sabbah

- DOCSBARCELONA AWARD : JULIAN ASSANGE: THIS IS ALL ABOUT YOU by Etienne Huver

- BIO TO B AWARD : LIMBS OF ONE BODY by Kaspar Panizza

- DOCS UP FUND AWARD : MEMOIRS OF JERUSALEM by Kinda Kurdi

- DOTIMAGES AWARD : UNDER THE YELLOW SKY by Maryna Nazarenko

- CAT&DOCS AWARD : 2084 by Ruth Chao

- PUBLIC SÉNAT AWARD : JULIAN ASSANGE: THIS IS ALL ABOUT YOU by Etienne Huver

- BEST INTERNATIONAL PITCH AWARD : YUGO GOES TO AMERICA by Filip Grujič & Aleksa Borković

- BEST FRENCH PITCH AWARD : SEVEN AND ONE by Lucas Vernier

The 8th edition of FIPADOC will be held

from Friday 23 to Saturday 31 January 2026 in Biarritz.

In 2026, the European FOCUS will be dedicated to Spain and Portugal.

PRESS CONTACT:

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL PRESS

ANYWAYS

01 48 24 12 91

Florence Alexandre

florence@anyways.fr

Kim Bourgeois-Mollier

Kim@fipadoc.com

Alexia Coutant 

alexiac@anyways.fr

LOCAL & SPANISH-SPEAKING

Marga Alija

05 40 69 11 13

m.alija@fipadoc.com

FIPADOC COMMUNICATION

communication@fipadoc.com