The Arthouse Cinema Awards
The Arthouse Cinema Award is the CICAE award given at major international festivals by an international jury of arthouse cinema exhibitors and programmers, which aims at bringing high-quality films to the arthouse cinemas.
In most countries, the film market is dominated by super-productions that tend to format audience’s tastes. The vast majority of innovative films, first works and films from less recognised countries or faraway continents do not get distributed. Festivals are thus the only venue for a large number of films.
- With the Arthouse Cinema Award we want to give voice to the arthouse movement thanks to the choice made by an international jury of arthouse exhibitors.
- We want also to encourage young directors, as well as productions, to come out of less-recognized countries.
The Festivals
For many years, we have been collaborating with several festivals around Europe and worldwide, to give the Arthouse Cinema Award a space.
Awards Archive
Download the list of the Arthouse Cinema Awards from 1979.
Currently 8 festivals are hosting the 9 CICAE international juries.
You can find the listed here below.
BERLINALE
The Berlinale is a unique place of artistic exploration and entertainment. For the film industry and the media, the eleven days in February are also one of the most important events in the annual calendar and an indispensable trading forum.
2 Juries will be selected for the sections:
- Panorama
- Forum
The Festival covers:
- Accommodation in Berlin during the Jury period
- Jury Accreditation
Next Edition
13-23 February 2025
CINÉLATINO
The section in focus at Cinélatino Rencontres de Toulouse, is the one dedicated to film professionals and called "Films in Progress" (Cinéma en Construction). The section was created in 2002 together with San Sebastián Film Festival and dedicated to independent Latin American feature films unable to complete the postproduction stage due to a lack of means.
The Festival Covers:
- Accommodation in Toulouse for three days
- Festival and Industry Accreditation
- Meals during the Festival
Next Edition
21-30 March 2025
French or Spanish knowledge required
SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL
The Sarajevo Film Festival is the leading film festival in the region, recognized by both film professionals and the wider audience. The Sarajevo Film Festival is an international film festival with a special focus on the region of South-East Europe, shining an international spotlight on films, talent and future projects from the region.
The Festival covers:
- Accommodation in Sarajevo during the Jury period
- Jury accreditation
Next Edition
15-22 August 2025
CINEFEST MISKOLC
The most prestigious Hungarian film event, the CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival is organized in the third biggest city of the North-East of Hungary, Miskolc. The next edition of the CineFest will take place between the 5th and 13th of September 2025.
The festival gets submissions from all over the world, and a pre- selection jury of film professionals selects the films into the competition program in three categories: international feature and long documentary films, East of Europe section and CineNewWave (a special category for Hungarian debutant filmmakers). All of these films make their Hungarian premiere at the CineFest including the most awaited fresh films of Hungary. Out of competition the films appeared in the program of the major European film festivals this year will be screened.
The festival’s international jury consists of Hungarian and international film professionals delegated by the CICAE, the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics), and the Ecumenical jury. The CICAE Jury grants it’s Arthouse Cinema Award in the CineFest’s international feature film category.
The Festival covers:
- Transfers between Budapest and Miskolc
- Accommodation in Miskolc
- Meals during the Jury period
- Full accreditation
Next Edition
5 -10 September 2025
POLISH FILM FESTIVAL
Polish Film Festival is one of the oldest film events in Europe promoting Polish cinematography on such a wide scale. Founded in 1974, until 1986, PFF was organised in Gdansk, then Gdynia became its venue with the Danuta Baduszkowa Musical Theatre hosting the Festival Centre.
Each year, the PFF audience has an opportunity, often as the first one in Poland, to see the most recent Polish productions. The most interesting Polish films, premieres, debuts and international film festivals’ prizewinners compete for the Golden Lions and Silver Lions, as well as a number of individual awards.
The Festival covers:
- Accommodation in Gdynia during the Jury period
- Airport transfers
- Jury accreditation
Next Edition
22-27 September 2025
FILMFEST HAMBURG
Every autumn, FILMFEST HAMBURG attracts more than 45,000 cinema fans. Over ten days, around 110 national and international feature films and documentaries are shown on 13 screens. The programme spectrum in ten sections ranges from cineastically sophisticated art house films to innovative mainstream cinema and a colourful film and event programme for the youngest cinema-goers. FILMFEST HAMBURG presents the first productions of young German and international filmmakers as well as the films of established directors.
The Festival covers
- Transportation to Hamburg
- Accommodation in Hamburg during the Jury period
- Jury Accreditation
Next Edition
25 September - 4 October 2025
German knowledge required
LOFT FILM FEST
The Loft Film Fest (located in beautiful Tucson, Arizona) is dedicated to showcasing the best independent, foreign and classic films, as well as celebrating the work of established and emerging directors, writers, producers and actors. The Loft Film Fest, through its eclectic and diverse programming, aims not only to expand the audience for cinema that challenges, inspires and entertains, but also to honor those artists whose talent and passion bring that cinema to life.
The Festival covers
- Voucher for transportation to Tucson, Arizona
- Accommodation in Tucson during the Jury period
- Airport transfers
- Jury Accreditation
Next Edition
5-13 November 2025
SEMINCI
The Valladolid International Film Festival is one of the oldest and most consolidated in the whole of Europe, , having been established in 1956. The CICAE works in collaboration with SEMINCI to reward a film from the «ALCHEMIES Official Selection».
ALCHEMIES is a new section this year, dedicated to films which faithfully reflect the festival's vision of cinema: fictions which tell universal stories from dynamic, deeply personal points of view. Proposals which offer powerful formal experiences but also have a deeply humanist vibe.
The Festival covers:
- Transportation to Valladolid
- Accommodation in Valladolid during the Jury period
- Jury Accreditation
Next Edition
24 October - 1 November 2025
The Jurors
Arthouse exhibitors and film programmers who are part of the CICAE network can apply and become one of the international jurors called to award the best arthouse film in one of the selected festivals, partner of the association.
Being in a CICAE jury not only gives the chance to attend well-known international film festivals and watch the selected films, but is an opportunity of exchange on international level with colleagues from other countries. It strenghten relationships and gives voice to common needs in the arthouse exhibition sector, and of course it celebrates quality films.
Apply for a CICAE jury
Apply here to participate as a CICAE jury member for the next festivals!
- Requirement: only CICAE members can apply.
- The festival covers your accomodation (except for some festivals) and the accreditation.
- The travel costs to the festival's venue stay at your charge.
Please fill out the form at the link below to apply.
The Films
Every year outstanding films win the Arthouse Cinema Award.
You can find here below the list of the winners of 2024 and 2023. And by clicking on each title, you can access the full information on the film, the jury decision and get the sales/distributors contacts.
The winners of 2024
- Sex (Norway, 2024, 125 minutes) by Dag Johan Haugerud at Berlinale Panorama
- Shahid (Germany, 2024, 84 min) by Narges Kalhor at Berlinale Forum
- Querido Tropico (Panama, 2024, 113 minutes) by Ana Endara at Cinélatino - Cinéma en Construction
- Family Therapy (Slovenia, 2024, 122 minutes) by Sonja Prosenc at Sarajevo Film Festival
- Loveable (Norway, 2024, 101 minutes) by Lilja Ingolfsdottir at CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival
- Wet Monday (Poland, 2024, 84 minutes) by Justyna Mytnik at Polish Film Festival - Gdynia
- Universal Language (Canada, 2024, 89 min) by Matthew Rankin at Filmfest Hamburg
- Universal Language (Canada, 2024, 89 min) by Matthew Rankin at the Loft Film Fest
The winners of 2023
- The Quiet Girl (Ireland, 2022, 96 min) by Colm Bairéad at Ciné Junior
- The Teacher's Lounge (Germany, 2023, 98 min) by İlker Çatak at Berlinale Panorama
- The Face of the Jellyfish (Argentina, 2022, 76 min) by Melisa Liebenthal at Berlinale Forum
- Levante (Brazil, 2023, 97 min) by Lillah Halla at Cinélatino - Cinéma en Construction
- Libertate (Romania, Hungary, 2023, 119 min) by Tudor Giurgiu at Sarajevo Film Festival
- Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (Switzerland, Georgia, 2023, 110 min) by Elene Naveriani at CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival
- How to Have Sex (United Kingdom, Greece, Belgium, 2023, 98 min) by Molly Manning Walker at Filmfest Hamburg
- Fancy Dance (USA, 2023, 90 min) by Erica Tremblay at the Loft Film Fest
- Femme (United Kingdom, 2023, 99 min) by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping at SEMINCI Valladolid
Award Archive
You can find the list of all the awarded films starting from 1979, until the current year at the link below.
Films 2022 - Gallery
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Liquor Store Dreams -
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Safe Place -
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Quando Minha Vida -
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Geographies of Solitude -
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Convenience Store -
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Buladó
How do we promote the awarded films?
COMMUNICATION
The Arthouse Cinema Award helps the films towards distribution, by systematically informing the over 2,400 member cinemas and the numerous contacts in its network.
Special Newsletter
- Periodically members of the CICAE receive a special newsletter with a "Film in Focus", which will include basic information on the awarded film: synopsis, cast and technical information, international sales and distributors contacts, promotional material and when possible a screener of the film.
Regular Newsletter
- We communicate about the Arthouse Cinema Award also in our monthly newsletter, which reaches over 4,000 contacts among which the CICAE members, film professionals, partners and supporters of the association.
Social Media
- We promote the awarded films on all our social media channels, namely Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.