Competition
Each year, the Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke bestows three Cercle d’or awards and the Prix Coup de cœur du public presented by Radio-Canada.
2026 winners
LA PICHENOTTE directed by Antoine Boulanger was chosen as the winner of the Prix Pierre-Javaux – Meilleur court métrage de l’Estrie.
The Audience Choice Award went to the film LA PICHENOTTE directed by Antoine Boulanger.
FILMS IN COMPETITION
PRICES
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Each year, the Festival’s programming committee submits 5 dramatic features and 5 documentary features for competition. A panel rewards one film chosen in each category.
Prizes awarded:
– Cercle d’or Meilleur long métrage de fiction (Best Dramatic Feature award)
– Cercle d’or Meilleur long métrage documentaire (Best Documentary Feature award)
REGIONAL COMPETITION
Following a call for short films from the region, a panel selects short films from Estrie to be presented during the Festival. Among this selection, the panel awards the Prix Pierre-Javaux – Meilleur court métrage de l’Estrie, and a grant.
Prizes awarded:
– Prix Pierre-Javaux – Meilleur court métrage de l’Estrie (Best short film of Estrie region)
PRIX COUP DE COEUR DU PUBLIC
The Prix Coup de cœur du public presented by Radio-Canada is voted on by festival goers. This award goes to the public’s favourite dramatic feature film.
AWARD:
– Prix Coup de cœur du public, presented by Radio-Canada
PUBLIC CHOICE AWARD
presented by Radio‑Canada
JURYS
Discover the jury members of this 13th edition
International competition JURY
Sophie Deraspe | Jury President
It was visual arts and literature that led Sophie Deraspe to screenwriting and directing fiction and documentary films in which social and existential issues rub shoulders with formal audacity. Her filmography includes six feature films, including Antigone (2019) and Bergers (2024), both of which won Best Canadian Film in their respective years at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Antigone received remarkable critical acclaim and represented Canada in the race for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Bergers was a popular success in both Quebec and France before being distributed in several countries. Sophie is currently working on a documentary, her second after Le Profil Amina (2015), which also received worldwide recognition.
Gentille M. Assih
Gentille M. Assih has been working in production and directing for over 20 years. Trained in documentary filmmaking and holding a master’s degree in cinema, she sensitively addresses social issues that are often taboo. Her films include Itchombi (2006), Le rite, la folle et moi (2010), and Sortir de l’ombre (2022). She is also a producer at her company, Productions Colorées Inc., through which she has produced the series Kasaléo, La révélation (2024) and the feature film Couper le cordon (2025).
Audrey Canalès
Audrey Canalès is an Assistant Professor of Audiovisual Translation at the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, and a researcher at the CRIHN (Interdisciplinary Research Center on Digital Humanities). Her expertise lies in translation studies, particularly focusing on the role of translation in society, information technology, and visual arts. Her multidisciplinary background has led her to explore screen and stage translation processes through the lens of translation studies. Her research investigates the relationships between translation and contemporary narrative forms, including transmedia narratives, examining how they interact and influence each other in today’s digital landscape.
dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
Raed Hammoud
Documentary filmmaker, host, and director Raed Hammoud is the creator of the award-winning documentary trilogy T’es où Youssef?. On television, he hosted and conceptualized the documentary series Immigrants de souche and Demain, l’Afrique, broadcast on TV5 Canada. Also a musician under the pseudonym Sael, he has released two albums on the Grande Plume label.
Noémi Tanguay | Audience Jury
Noémi Tanguay is a communication and marketing student at the University of Sherbrooke, currently completing her second year. She holds a degree in Arts, Literature and Communication, Creative Arts Profile obtained at Champlain College, a program that strengthened her creativity and deepened her interest in cinema. Passionate about film from a young age, she has continued to expand her knowledge over the years, with a particular interest in how marketing can help highlight artists and their work, as well as the strategic thinking behind directors’ creative choices.
regional competition JURY
Gentille M. Assih | Jury President
Gentille M. Assih has been working in production and directing for over 20 years. Trained in documentary filmmaking and holding a master’s degree in cinema, she sensitively addresses social issues that are often taboo. Her films include Itchombi (2006), Le rite, la folle et moi (2010), and Sortir de l’ombre (2022). She is also a producer at her company, Productions Colorées Inc., through which she has produced the series Kasaléo, La révélation (2024) and the feature film Couper le cordon (2025).
Audrey Canalès
Audrey Canalès is an Assistant Professor of Audiovisual Translation at the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, and a researcher at the CRIHN (Interdisciplinary Research Center on Digital Humanities). Her expertise lies in translation studies, particularly focusing on the role of translation in society, information technology, and visual arts. Her multidisciplinary background has led her to explore screen and stage translation processes through the lens of translation studies. Her research investigates the relationships between translation and contemporary narrative forms, including transmedia narratives, examining how they interact and influence each other in today’s digital landscape.
Raed Hammoud
Documentary filmmaker, host, and director Raed Hammoud is the creator of the award-winning documentary trilogy T’es où Youssef?. On television, he hosted and conceptualized the documentary series Immigrants de souche and Demain, l’Afrique, broadcast on TV5 Canada. Also a musician under the pseudonym Sael, he has released two albums on the Grande Plume label.
STUDENT JURY | New Category
The Student Jury brings together students from the Cégep de Sherbrooke, representing a variety of academic programs. Their mission: to watch the films in the International Competition (fiction and documentary) and select their favourite film among the works in competition.
Developed in collaboration with the Cégep de Sherbrooke, this initiative offers a unique cinephile experience—an opportunity to analyze, debate, sharpen critical thinking, and engage thoughtfully with cinema from here and abroad. A wonderful way to highlight student participation within the Festival.
STUDENT JURY – INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION / DOCUMENTARY:
Marie Boudreau
Marie Boudreau is a humanities student at Cégep de Sherbrooke. A huge film buff, she has been immersed in the world of cinema since she was 16. She has several short films to her credit, one of which was selected for the 2023 Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke. World cinema plays an important role in her life. It not only allows her to travel, but also to put various everyday realities into perspective. She considers it a privilege to have access to high-quality works, such as those offered by the festival.
Diego Bussieres
A 19-year-old student in Arts, Literature and Communication, Diego Bussières previously studied in Social Sciences and completed a Tremplin DEC program. He has been passionate about films and television series since childhood, with a strong interest in cinematography, color, and visual storytelling. He enjoys analyzing movies, discussing their meanings and endings, and exploring different interpretations. He is also interested in documentaries and true-crime content. When he was younger, he created short sketch videos, which helped develop his interest in audiovisual creation and narrative expression.
Emina Husic
Emina Husic is an artist, singer, actress, and writer who constantly strives to perfect her creations and seek out experiences that will broaden her outlook on the world.
Pierry Ntakarutimana
Now in his final semester as an Arts, Literature, and Communication student at Cégep de Sherbrooke, Pierry Ntakarutimana has spent the last few years learning to develop a critical eye for art from an objective perspective. He believes that this ability, along with the social skills he has acquired through his cultural background, give him an interesting perspective on the media he consumes.
STUDENT JURY – INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION / FICTION:
Clara Barrette
Clara Barrette is a 19-year-old student at Cégep de Sherbrooke, studying classical piano. She has been playing the instrument since the age of six and has been passionate about music ever since. It was then that she developed a great passion for the arts and culture, watching numerous films, writing stories, and drawing all day long. Her love for the arts, particularly cinema and music, has made her a curious and cultured person, pushing her to pursue a potential career in cinema.
Frédérique Gaudreau
Frédérique Gaudreau is a student in Arts, Literature, and Communication, specializing in media, at Cégep de Sherbrooke. She studied Art, Communication, and Technology at Mitchell-Montcalm High School. She has also participated in several film events, including the Pocket Films competition at FCMS 2025 as co-director. She was also part of the Rencontre Étudiante du Cinéma in Baie-Comeau in 2025.
Bastien Ouellette
Student in graphic design at Cégep de Sherbrooke, Bastien wants to continue his carrer in becoming a 3D modeler or a VFX artist. He his determined to perfect his art to become well known in the world of Quebec’s cinema.
Philémon Larochelle
Philemon Larochelle is currently completing his studies in graphic design. He is very interested in images and visual arts, which leads him to notice the composition, atmosphere, and way in which a work connects with its audience. He watches movies regularly, with a particular interest in science fiction and suspense, genres that stimulate the imagination and create real tension. In general, he is curious about different forms of artistic expression and is as interested in aesthetics as he is in storytelling, as well as the overall experience that a work can offer viewers.
Winners of previous editions
2025 | Aïcha, by Mehdi M. Barsaoui.
2024 | Àma Gloria, by Marie Amachoukeli
2023 | Le Bleu du caftan, by Maryam Touzani
2022 | Freda, by Gessica Geneus
2021 | La nuit des rois, by Philippe Lacôte
2019 | Les Chatouilles, by Andréa Bescond and Éric Métayer
2018 | Une famille syrienne, by Philippe Van Leeuw
2017 | Home Care, by Slávek Horák
2016 | Trois fenêtres et une pendaison, by Isa Qosja
2015 | Ex aequo : Cañada Morrison (Sciences Naturelles), by Matías Lucchesi et Jimmy P., by Arnaud Desplechin
2025 | Au boulot !, by Gilles Perret et François Ruffin
2024 | La Mère de tous les mensonges, by Asmae El Moudir
2023 | Au-delà du papier, by Oana Suteu Khintirian
2022 | Chère Audrey, by Jeremiah Hayes
2021 | Prière pour une mitaine perdue, by Jean-François Lesage
2019 | Amal, by Mohamed Siam
2018 | Des rêves sans étoiles, by Mehrdad Oskouei
2017 | A Flickering Truth, by Pietra Brettkelly
2016 | Les 18 fugitives, by Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan
2015 | Le Sel de la Terre, by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
2025 | Marqueur de temps, by Marie-Lou Béland
2024 | P’tit Bouddha by Jean-Sébastien Dutil
2023 | Laura au printemps, by Pascale Rousseau
2022 | Rien ne se perd, by Noémie De Pas
2021 | Vers des champs inconnus, by Charles Duquet
2019 | Ponderosa, by Julien Grégoire Péloquin
2018 | Le dernier jour, by Louis-Charles Blais
2017 | 24H, by Marie-Lou Béland
2016 | Estrela d’Alma, by Fabio Dorea
2015 | La marche du funambule, by Mathieu Drouin
2014 | Ellie & Clara, by Farzin Farzaneh
2025 | Chiennes de faïence, by Marie-Hélène Panisset
2024 | Les filles d’Olfa, by Kaouther Ben Hania
2023 | Farador, by Édouard A. Tremblay
2022 | All My Puny Sorrows, by Michael McGowan
2019 | Capharnaüm, by Nadine Labaki
2018 | Une famille syrienne, by Philippe Van Leeuw
2017 | Fukushima, mon amour, by Doris Dörrie
2016 | The Second Mother, by Anna Muylaert
2015 | La famille Bélier, by Éric Lartigau
2014 | Casse-tête chinois, by Cédric Klapisch