Cinéma du réel Grand Prix 2025
Funded by the Bibliothèque publique d’information (€ 5,000) and the Procirep (€ 3,000), and awarded to a feature film from the Competition.
Cinéma du réel International Award 2025
€ 5,000 awarded to an international feature film from the Competition, funded by the association Les Amis du Cinéma du réel.
Cnap Award for French films 2025
The Cnap Award, awarded to a French feature-length film and endowed by the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, comes with a purse of €5,000. In line with the activities of the Cnap, it is designed to support and promote contemporary artistic production coming from a wide variety of fields and professional backgrounds. Each year, the Cnap supports around twenty films that explore new practices relative to the making and writing of films, and that fit the criteria set out by the support programme for French production companies Image/Mouvement.
Sacem Award 2025
€ 1,000 funded by La Sacem and awarded to the composer of the original music of a feature film from the Competition.
First Film Loridan-Ivens Award 2025
Sponsored by Capi Films (€3,500), it is awarded to a first-time film with a +50-minute runtime featured in the competition category.
The Loridan-Ivens Award was initiated by Marceline Loridan-Ivens to support the emergence of singular and committed filmmakers casting a sharp eye on the state of the world. In honour of Joris Ivens, Loridan-Ivens’s partner and an early supporter of the project, this initiative led by Marceline Loridan-Ivens and Capi Films is a reflection of their attachment to Cinéma du Réel.
Short Film Award 2025
Funded by the Bibliothèque publique d’information (€ 2,500) and awarded to a short film from the Competition.
Tënk Award 2025
Funded by Tënk (500 € and acquisition of SVOD broadcasting rights on the platform Tënk) and awarded to a short film from the Competition.
Ciné+ Festival Young Jury Award 2025
Funded by Ciné+ Festival and awarded to a feature film from the Competition. It guarantees that the film is bought by the channel for €15,000 and broadcast on Ciné+ Festival. This sum will be paid to the distributor on condition that the film is theatrically released on French territory in the two coming years and that the distributor provides in advance a release plan.
Library Award 2025
Funded by the Direction générale des médias et des industries culturelles of the Ministry of Culture (€ 2,500) and awarded to an international film of more than 50 minutes from the Competition. The awarded film is purchased by the Bibliothèque publique d’information for inclusion in the library’s Catalogue national – Les Yeux Doc.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Award 2025
Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture’s Direction Générale des Patrimoines et de l’Architecture (€2,500), this award is given to a film featured in the competition category.
As a medium, film is particularly well-suited to highlight and explore the practices that make up the common heritage which we strive to keep alive and to pass on, sometimes unknowingly. Since the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, these practices are formally known as ICH. In the name of cultural diversity, and in a rebuttal of cultural hierarchies and discriminations, the Convention invites the 180 member states—as well as the hundreds of millions of individuals living within these political organisations—, to carry out initiatives designed to promote and safeguard the cultural practices constitutive of our common creative heritage.
Clarens Award for Humanist Documentary Filmmaking 2025
Endowed by the Clarens Foundation for Humanism (€4,000) and awarded to a feature film, at least a french premiere, from any of the festival’s categories (competitive or not), the Clarens Award for Humanist Documentary Filmmaking seeks to champion the cardinal values of mankind in various fields of social and historical experience. As such, it provides a platform for stories that shed light on what humanism means today.
In view of the substantial challenges currently facing mankind, especially in safeguarding the planet and maintaining natural balances, this year’s prize will reflect values advocating for respect and openness to others; championing equality, dignity and solidarity; promoting the diversity of individuals, cultures, and worldviews, in a mutually enriching dynamic; fostering singularity and authenticity against consumerism and the standardization of human existence; supporting the political and social call to break free of unjustified constraints and direct or indirect processes of conditioning and enslavement.
Created in collaboration with the Fresnes Prison in 2013 and with the Bois D’Arcy Prison in 2017, this award is endowed by the Sophie Rochas Foundation (€1,000) and awarded by a jury of incarcerated people to a short film featured either in competition or in the First Window category.
One of the films in the First Window section will receive an Audience award, based on the votes of Internet users who saw the films broadcast on Mediapart, followed by a deliberation by the Cinéma du réel audience jury. This award is funded by the Cinémathèque du documentaire (€2,000), who buys the rights from the author or the production structure for inclusion in its Images de la culture catalogue.
Coup de cœur Orlando 2025
Looking to provide meaningful support to selected projects, ParisDOC Works-in-Progress has forged a partnership with Studio Orlando, which provides post-production support (sound mixing or colour-grading) to one of the selected projects.
Route One/DOC Award 2025
Funded by the CNC (€2,000), which signs a contract with the project’s author to buy the rights for its catalogue, CNC-Images de la culture. The award is given to a young graduate who obtained a diploma in 2023 or 2024 and who is working on a first professional film project. The award-winner will be given support to move his or her project forward by the sponsor of the award.
Préludes Award 2025
During the European Classic Documentary Film Rendez-Vous ParisDOC, Préludes, in association with Micro Climat and Cosmo Digital, is a partner of Cinéma du réel. The Préludes award (a scan and a 4K restoration) is awarded to a first documentary film.