The Short Film () is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival.
It's most recent winner was Argentine filmmaker Federico Luis for the short film For the Opponents at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
History From 1952 to 1954 and from 1964 to 1974, the highest prize of the year for a short film was awarded as the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, commonly referred to as Grand Prix. It was then in 1975 that the "Palme d'Or was reintroduced and became the enduring symbol of the Festival de Cannes."
Before 1952, various prizes were awarded to short films, including a Grand Prix for Documentaries in 1947, five specific prizes in 1949, and a Grand Prix for Best Scientific Film in 1951.
During some years, short films are awarded the Prix du Jury, the Prix spécial du Jury, the Mention Spéciale, Hommage, and various prizes from the CST (Commission Supérieure Technique de l’Image et du Son), including the Grand Prix Technique.
Since the creation of the Cinéfondation section in 1998, is a common a joint jury for the Short Film and for the Cinéfondation prizes.
Among its past winners are Joris Ivens, Serge Bourguignon, Jane Campion, Jim Jarmusch, Carlos Carrera, Xavier Giannoli, Simón Mesa Soto, Ely Dagher, Juanjo Giménez, Sameh Alaa, Flóra Anna Buda and Nebojša Slijepčević.
Winners The following list shows the short films that won the Short Film Palme d'Or, or the Grand Prix for the years that this was the highest prize awarded:
1950s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country Awarded as "Grand Prix" 1952 ’t Schot is te boord! Herman van der HorstNetherlands 1953 White Mane Crin-Blanc: Le cheval sauvage Albert LamorisseFranceAwarded as "Palme d'Or"1955Blinkity BlankNorman McLarenUnited Kingdom, Canada1956The Red BalloonLe Ballon rougeAlbert LamorisseFrance1957A Brief HistoryScurtă IstorieIon Popescu-GopoRomania1958The Seine Meets ParisLa Seine a recontré ParisJoris IvensNetherlandsLa Joconde: Histoire d'une obsessionHenri GruelFrance1959Butterflies Don't Live HereMotýli tady nežijíMiro BernatCzechoslovakia
1960s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 1960 Le sourire Serge BourguignonFrance 1961 La Petite Cuillère A Colher Egípcia Carlos VilardebóPortugal 1962 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge La Rivière du Hibou Robert EnricoFrance Awarded as "Grand Prix" or "Grand Prix International du Festival" 1963 A fleur d'eau In wechselndem Gefälle Alexander J. SeilerSwitzerland Le Haricot Edmond SéchanFrance 1964 La douceur du village François Reichenbach The Price of Victory 挑戦 Nobuko ShibuyaJapan 1965 Overture Nyitány János VadászHungary 1966 Skaterdater Noel BlackUnited States 1967 Sky Over Holland John FernhoutNetherlands 1969 Cântecele Renașterii Mirel IlieșiuRomania
1970s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 1972 Le Fusil à Lunette Jean ChapotFrance 1973 Balablok Břetislav PojarCzechoslovakia 1974 Ostrov Остров Fyodor KhitrukSoviet Union Awarded as "Palme d'Or" 1975 Lautrec Geoff DunbarUnited Kingdom 1976 Metamorphosis Barry GreenwaldCanada 1977 The Struggle Küzdők Marcell JankovicsHungary 1978 Rowing Across the Atlantic La Traversée de l'Atlantique à la rame Jean-François LaguionieFrance 1979 Harpya Raoul ServaisBelgium
1980s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 1980 Seaside Woman Oscar GrilloArgentina 1981 Moto Perpetuo Béla VajdaHungary 1982 Merlin ou le cours de l'or Arthur JofféFrance 1983 Je sais que j'ai tort mais demandez à mes copains ils disent la même chose Pierre Levy 1984 Le Cheval de fer Gérald Frydman, Pierre LevieBelgium 1985 Marriage Женитба Slav Bakalov, Rumen PetkovBulgaria 1986 Peel Jane CampionNew Zealand 1987 Palisade Laurie McInnesAustralia 1988 Vykrutasy Выкрутасы Garri BardinSoviet Union 1989 50 ans Gilles Carle Canada
1990s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 1990 The Lunch Date Adam DavidsonUnited States 1991 With Hands Raised Со кренати раце Mitko PanovRepublic of Macedonia 1992 Omnibus Sam KarmannFrance 1993 Coffee and Cigarettes (Somewhere in California) Jim JarmuschUnited States 1994 El héroe Carlos CarreraMexico 1995 Gagarin Гагарин Aleksey KharitidiRussia 1996 Szél Marcell IványiHungary 1997 Is It the Design on the Wrapper? Tessa SheridanUnited Kingdom 1998 L'Interview Xavier GiannoliFrance 1999 When the Day Breaks Wendy Tilby and Amanda ForbisCanada
2000s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 2000 Shadows Anino Raymond RedPhilippines 2001 Bean Cake David GreenspanUnited States 2002 After Rain Esö után Péter MészárosHungary 2003 Cracker Bag Glendyn IvinAustralia 2004 Trafic Cătălin MitulescuRomania 2005 Wayfarers Подорожні Igor StrembitskyyUkraine 2006 Sniffer Bobbie PeersNorway 2007 Ver Llover Elisa MillerMexico 2008 Megatron Marian CrișanRomania 2009 Arena João SalavizaPortugal
2010s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country 2010 Chienne d'Histoire Serge AvedikianFrance 2011 Cross-Country Крос Maryna VrodaFrance, Ukraine 2012 Silent Sessiz L. Rezan YeşilbaşTurkey 2013 Safe 세이프 Moon Byoung-gonSouth Korea 2014 Leidi Simón Mesa SotoColombia 2015 Waves '98 Ely DagherLebanon, Qatar 2016 Timecode Juanjo GiménezSpain 2017 A Gentle Night 小城二月 Qiu YangChina 2018 All These Creatures Charles WilliamsAustralia 2019 The Distance Between Us and the Sky Η απόσταση ανάμεσα στον ουρανό κι εμάς Vasilis KekatosGreece, France
2020s Year English Title Original Title Director Production Country Ref 2020 I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face Sameh AlaaEgypt"Egyptian film wins a Golden Palm at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival" . Egypt Independent, October 30, 2020. 2021 All the Crows in the World 天下烏鴉 Tang YiHong Kong2022The Water Murmurs海边升起一座悬崖Jianying ChenChina202327Flóra Anna BudaHungary, France2024 The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjetiNebojša SlijepčevićCroatia, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria2025 I'm Glad You're Dead NowTawfeek BarhomPalestine, France, Greece"LIVE: The awards of the 78th Cannes Film Festival". Cineuropa, 24 May 2025.2026For the OpponentsPara los contrincantesFederico LuisMexico, Chile, France
List of other awards