French director and screenwriter Alice Winocour is the recipient of the 2026 Alpine Award. The award will be presented to her on Thursday, May 21st, 2026, at 7:00 PM, during the closing ceremony of the Directors’ Fortnight, an independent parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival, organized by the French Directors’ Guild (SRF).
Created in 2025, this award honors each year a figure in cinema whose work is distinguished by a singular vision, strong artistic standards, and a significant contribution to the renewal of contemporary narrative forms. From Thomas Cailley’s attentive gaze on the trials of youth (2025 laureate) to Alice Winocour’s sensory approach to extreme experiences, the Alpine Award celebrates filmmakers whose rigor and singularity are helping to shape contemporary cinema.
Since her debut, Alice Winocour has established herself as one of the leading voices in French cinema. From “Augustine” to “Maryland,” from “Proxima” to “Couture,” her work explores with rare intensity human experiences confronted with ordeal, fear, or trauma, while revealing individuals’ capacity to endure, transform, and rebuild. Selected at major festivals and critically acclaimed, her films demonstrate precise writing, immersive direction, and a constant focus on bodies, emotions, and situations of crisis.
“We are very proud to present the 2026 Alpine Award to Alice Winocour, whose body of work has established itself as one of the most distinctive in contemporary French cinema. Through the emotional power of her storytelling and the rigor of her direction, she explores intense human experiences with great accuracy, revealing both the fragility and strength of those she films. Her cinema reflects a remarkable artistic commitment and strong formal ambition.” — SRF
Trained in screenwriting at La Fémis, Alice Winocour directed several short films, including “Kitchen,” selected for the Official Competition at Cannes in 2005. In 2011, she made her first feature film, “Augustine,” selected for Critics’ Week and nominated for the César Award for Best First Film. Her second feature, “Maryland,” starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger, was presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. She co-wrote “Mustang” with Deniz Gamze Ergüven, winner of the César Award for Best Original Screenplay and France’s submission to the 2016 Academy Awards, as well as “Cuties” by Maïmouna Doucouré. Her film “Proxima,” starring Eva Green and Matt Dillon, received awards at the Toronto and San Sebastián film festivals in 2019. In 2022, she co-wrote “Lost Country” by Vladimir Perišić. Her film “Paris Memories,” selected for Directors’ Fortnight, was preselected to represent France at the Academy Awards and earned Virginie Efira the César Award for Best Actress. She received the Alice Guy Prize for Best Director in 2023. In 2025, she directed her fifth feature film, “Coutures,” starring Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Ella Rumpf, Louis Garrel, and Vincent Lindon, presented at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Her films often explore the body, trauma, and intense or extreme experiences.
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival will run from May 12th until May 23rd. Cody Dericks, Nadia Dalimonte and I will be attending in-person this year from Next Best Picture.
Are you excited for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? Are you planning to attend the festival this year? What do you think of this announcement? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our X account.
