For the second time in the IFF Art Film history, a FIPRESCI Jury Award was announced. It went to the Bulgarian/German/Czech Made in EU by Stephan Komandarev, which also received a Special Mention in the Competition of Central and Eastern European Films.
The Actor‘s Mission Award was bestowed upon the Slovak actress Anna Šišková, while the Golden Camera Award for significant contribution to cinema was received by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin.
The festival took place in Košice, Slovakia, 19 – 25 June 2026.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
International Feature Film Competition:
Best Film:
Everytime (Germany, Austria)
Directed by Sandra Wollner
Best Director:
Sandra Wollner for Everytime (Germany, Austria)
Best Actress:
Imogen Poots in The Chronology of Water (USA, France, Latvia, UK)
Directed by Kristen Stewart
Produced CG Cinema International, Forma Pro Films, Scott Free Productions, NeverMind Productions, and Mingo, in association with Curious Gremlin, Freemantle, Lorem Ipsum Corp, and Scala Films
Supported by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), and the Riga Film Fund, among others
Best Actor:
Sir Tom Courtenay in Queen at Sea (UK, USA)
Directed by Lance Hammer
Competition of Central and Eastern European Films:
Best Film:
Supporting Role / Meorekhariskhovani Roli (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, USA)
Directed by Ana Urushadze
Produced by Zazafilms, Allfilm, Enkeny Films, Zeyno Film, Cinetrain, Melograno Films
Supported by the Georgian National Film Center, the Estonian Film Institute, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages, the Georgian Film Enterprise
Special Mention:
Made in EU (Bulgaria, Germany, Czech Republic)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev
Produced by Argo Film
Coproduced by 42film, Negativ, Ikinciyeni Film, Istos Film
Supported by the Bulgarian National Film Center, MDM – MitteldeutscheMedienforderung, the Czech Audiovisual Fund, ZDF/Arte, the Bulgarian National Television, TRT Sinema
JOJ Cinema Audience Award:
The Altar Boys / Ministranci (Poland)
Directed by Piotr Domalewski
Produced by Aurum Film
Coproduced by Mazovian Culture Institute, the Mazovia and Warsaw Film Fund
Supported by the Polish Film Institute, the Mazovian Voivodeship, the Warsaw City Hall, Creative Europe MEDIA
Short Film Competition:
Best Short Film:
What Have You Done, Zarina? / Zarina, sen ne istepqoidyn? (Kazakhstan)
Directed by Camila Sagyntkan
Special Mention:
Nobody Knows the World (Peru)
Directed by Roddy Dextre
FIPRESCI Award:
Made in EU (Bulgaria, Germany, Czech Republic)
Directed by Stephan Komandarev
Actor‘s Mission Award:
Slovak actress Anna Šišková
Golden Camera Award:
German-Turkish director Fatih Akin
