As part of ParisDOC’s Classic Documentary Film Rendez-vous, Cinéma du Réel and Préludes have created the Préludes Award, designed to support the restoration of documentary films.
Préludes is an international sales and distribution company as well as a FVOD platform dedicated to debut films (feature and short). In addition to distributing films, Préludes works alongside emerging filmmakers and supports the restoration of first films.
PRÉLUDES AWARD 2026
The call for restoration projects is not yet open.
ELIGIBILITY
- The project is a feature-length documentary debut produced by French, European, or international sources (student films are not eligible).
- The rights holders to the film are looking to restore it ahead of a new theatrical, television, or online release.
- All rights must be secured: a clean chain of title will be required for authors’ rights, including writer and director agreements, as well as licenses for original and additional music and archival footage.
- The film must have been shot in celluloid and the original material must be available. A letter or email authorizing the release of the material from the laboratory where it is stored must be supplied. It will need to state the available material and provide a cost estimate for its release.
- The same film cannot be entered twice.
JURY AND AWARD
A special jury made up of industry professionals is in charge of reviewing submitted projects and selecting a winner. Members convene in March. The winner is notified in the days following the jury’s decision.
The jury presents the Préludes Award to the winning applicant during the Awards Ceremony, Saturday 28 March 2026.
PRIZE DETAILS
The Préludes Award includes the following:
- Restoration of the selected project (4K scan and restoration by Préludes in collaboration with Micro Climat and Cosmo Digital, depending on the material provided).
- An industry pass (worth €50) will be awarded to the film’s rights holders, giving them full access to the festival and to ParisDOC events.
- The winning film will be screened in its restored version during the 2027 edition of Cinéma du Réel, as part of the Classic Documentary Film Rendez-vous.