• The Cineuropa Award is given to a film that besides having indisputable artistic qualities also brings out the idea of European dialogue and integration
• The Prize is given by one or more qualified editors or collaborators chosen by Cineuropa and present at the Festival
• The Prize is given to a film produced or co-produced by a country participating in the MEDIA Programme or member of Eurimages
• The Prize consists of promotion on the Cineuropa site, including a special newsletter dedicated to the film (including a review, an interview with the director, and trailers and excerpts), which will be sent to our mailing list of over 50,000 subscribers.

The Prize is awarded at the following partner festivals:

Trieste Film Festival
Mons International Love Film Festival
Vilnius Film Festival - Kino Pavasaris
Lecce European Film Festival
Cinema City International Film Festival
Sarajevo International Film Festival
Istanbul Film Festival
Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival
Les Arcs European Film Festival

Snow and the Bear

Snow and the Bear by Selcen Ergun, Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival 2022

Snow and the Bear is a film that possesses a subtle subversive side. A movie that introduces us to an unlikely heroine, with a keen eye and giving an icy performance. The film is a metaphor for life under surveillance, which is a reality for women all over the world, where violence has become increasingly systematic and unpunished.

No Dogs or Italians Allowed

No Dogs or Italians Allowed by Alain Ughetto, Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival 2022

In the dizzying whirlwind of the information age, the Western world tends to forget its recent history and its past of economic migration. Bearing witness, reanimating the shadows of time and paying tribute to his family forced into exile because of extreme poverty in the first half of the 20th century - this is the mission undertaken by No Dogs or Italians Allowed.

The 9th Step

The 9th Step by Irma Puzauskaite, Lecce European Film Festival 2022

For sensitively showing that you can learn from your mistakes. For having described fragile and wounded figures from life, but who can be saved thanks to their passions. To reward a first film by a very promising young woman. Irma Puzauskaite's The 9th Step makes us appreciate the figure of a father who tries, despite the difficulties and addiction to alcohol, to do the right thing and to keep on the moral straight and narrow. We can’t help but root for him until the very last, and hope that by righting his wrongs, this young fallible and imperfect man can finally wrestle a smile from his implacable daughter.

Safe Place

Safe Place by Juraj Lerotić, Sarajevo Film Festival 2022

This film deeply moved us thanks to the performances of the actors, which we were delighted to observe on the big screen. The quality of the mise-en-scène and the positioning of the camera support the storytelling perfectly. We wanted to commend the director for portraying the hardest moment of his life in such an honest and profound way. Highlighting mental health issues through films is still of paramount importance.

A Brixton Tale

A Brixton Tale by Darragh Carey and Bertrand Desrochers, Mons International Love Film Festival 2022

We would like to reward this film for the modern way in which it addresses subjects such as classism and everyday racism, and the perspective it affords on today's youth. We would like to congratulate directorial duo Darragh Carey and Bertrand Desrochers for their approach, their commitment, their work on the mise-en-scène and their quest for authenticity.

Looking for Venera

Looking for Venera by Norika Sefa, Trieste Film Festival 2022

Looking for Venera is impressive in its sincerity and precision. Director Norika Sefa has succeeded in portraying the complexity of the two main characters, magnificently played by the actresses Kosovare Krasniqi and Rozafa Çelaj. We must also salute the work of Luis Armando Arteaga, the director of photography, for making this beautiful coming-of-age film shine.

Full Time

Full Time by Eric Gravel, Les Arcs Film Festival 2021

Full Time is a breathtaking film about a mother crucified by the alienating whirlwind of modern life between the suburbs and the capital. A human drama that easily arouses empathy as it perfectly captures contemporary reality and resonates on a societal level.

Murina

Murina by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival 2021

Murina manages to convincingly tell of the daily violence within a family that is physically isolated. When you cannot compare your situation to anything else, you get used to violence and are unable to stop it. It’s just a part of your everyday life. The abuse becomes apparent when a foreigner arrives, and he provides the contrast, the mirror. This award is given for the delicacy with which the theme is addressed, for the performances of the actors and for the ever-present tension.

Hive

Hive by Blerta Basholli, Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival 2021

Hive is a first feature film that tells the story of a lady in a small town who faces prejudice and uncertainty as she inspires the women in her community to take control of their own fate. This award is given for the mastery with which the director shows her skill in forming the characters and working with the actors.

Only Human

Only Human by Igor Ivanov, Lecce European Film Festival 2021

Igor Ivanov's Only Human shows six faces, six episodes linked through a darkly comic thread. Lost characters meet sporadically in a modern metropolis in an overarching quest for a way to survive. Despite the tragedy, the film amuses us and gives us hope through the eyes of a child, when all seems lost.