Nikon Film Festival: How to stand out in 140 seconds

For the 2026 edition, entrants were invited to respond to the theme of ‘Beauty’. The 2026 Grand Jury Award went to Tansi Makélé’s L’Éclat, which loosely translates as ‘radiance’ or ‘the glow’ and tells the cautionary tale of a model whose mysterious illness during a photoshoot turns an impossible bodily anomaly into a source of power that ultimately leads to her downfall. Taking to Instagram, the director expressed gratitude to all those who contributed towards the making of the film, as well as the festival’s organisers and jurors, revealing how it created “an opportunity to move beyond realism, to talk about our circumstances, and above all, to take a first step in directing a world I hope to continue developing in film.” L’Éclat also saw Ana Maria Miranda recognised with the Best Photography Award.

During the same ceremony, which was held at Le Grand Rex in Paris, Sirène was announced as this year’s International Award winner. “Taking part in the Nikon Festival was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life,” says the film’s director, Élise Rale, whose quietly moving short finds beauty in an unexpected encounter – when a spa receptionist’s late-night inconvenience becomes a moment of profound connection. “I am a complete beginner, and Sirène is my first film,” she continues. “For years, I had wanted to direct but hadn’t dared to. I told myself that the world of directing was inaccessible, and that I didn’t have the skills for it. Receiving a prize for the film gives real meaning to what we do! And nothing could have encouraged me more to continue down this path.”

“The Nikon Film Festival creates the ideal framework to experiment and see whether directing appeals to you. There is nothing to lose!” Élise Rale, International Award winner

Unlike the main jury prizes, the Audience Award is open to all eligible films in the competition and decided through online public voting. This year’s winner, Coupez! (Cut!), directed by Yeux Ébènes, Jeremie Makiese and Tom Creuzet, is a spirited short centred on a chaotic film set, where beauty is found in the imperfect but passionate art of making a film. “I believe that, in the end, it is always the public who decides, so receiving the Audience Award is quite simply the most beautiful reward of all,” says Yeux Ébènes, who was also recognised through the festival’s Benelux competition, a regional branch designed to spotlight emerging filmmaking talent across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. “This prize means a great deal to me because I started making films on the internet, and it was my community that pushed me to go further than the small screen, to believe in bigger ambitions. The Nikon Film Festival reminds us that nothing is fixed, nothing is closed, and nothing is reserved for just a few people. It gives hope and shows young creators that they too, have a place.”

“The Nikon Film Festival reminds us that nothing is fixed, nothing is closed, and nothing is reserved for just a few people. It gives hope and shows young creators that they too, have a place.” Yeux Ébènes, Audience Award winner

What it takes to win

In a festival built on one shared theme, standing out means doing more than making a good film, it means creating something so distinctive and moving that it stays with the viewer. “What you need most of all is a strong idea,” says Yeux. “And if that idea remains true to itself from beginning to end, while preserving your values, then there is no reason it should not work. Arm yourself with patience – nothing is built in a day – and surround yourselves with the right people. You do not need a large team or huge resources, just those who believe in you for the right reasons, who push you forward and who are willing to invest themselves, on a human level, in your vision.”

International Award winner Élise Rale agrees. “Definitely surround yourself with the right people, and don’t hesitate to contact people whose work you admire,” she says. “I contacted key crew members from previous years, whose work I had liked, and several people joined the project that way. After that, trust the expertise of the team members, but also trust your own vision, then just go for it! The Nikon Film Festival creates the ideal framework to experiment and see whether directing appeals to you. There is nothing to lose!

“This competition is truly wonderful! It is very inspiring, everyone supports one another and, as long as you put your heart into it, you can make beautiful films. Taking part in the Nikon Festival forced me to be brave, and the result was nothing but positive! It has given me an enormous amount of confidence and, on a personal level, now that I have made a film from A to Z, and one that touched the members of the jury, I feel much more able to make a longer one. On a more practical level, I know that having won a prize will really help me convince producers to come on board for the next adventure!”

“I had heard a lot of good things about the Nikon ZR. It is small and lightweight, yet still allows you to create very high-quality, cinematic-style films.” Arnaud Huck, Finalist

The future of filmmaking

“It was a great opportunity to make a film with people I trust, to enjoy the process and create a small piece of cinema that came to life quickly,” says finalist director Arnaud Huck, whose short, Les chaises volantes, captured on the Nikon ZR, follows care home resident Bruno as he confronts a failing body, fading memory and the painful possibility that he may never return home. “To be announced as a finalist gives you confidence and energy to keep pushing the more complex projects, to fight for them to exist. And, let’s be honest, it’s a huge ego boost!”

The use of the Nikon ZR is particularly fitting for a festival built on creativity without barriers. Compact, lightweight and suited to smaller crews, it gives filmmakers access to cinematic tools such as internal 6K R3D NE RAW recording and RED colour science in a more flexible set-up, helping them capture stories with speed, quality and creative freedom. “I had heard a lot of good things about the ZR,” Arnaud continues. “It is small and lightweight, yet still allows you to create very high-quality, cinematic-style films. It is also easier to take out during a recce or for tests on location, which means the results reflect the reality of the filming day more closely. Also, because the camera is compact and practical to handle, you can do more, improvise more and spend less time setting up.”

That flexibility proved especially important for the short’s cinematographer, Louis Bergogné, who was responsible for choosing the camera for the production. “Our location was a real care home and, although they kindly gave us access to film in the dining room, we only had two three-hour filming slots,” he says. “The ultra-compact format of the ZR allowed us to work quickly and efficiently with a lightweight set-up and a small crew in an almost documentary style, while still benefiting from R3D NE RAW recording and RED colour science.”

For Arnaud, however, a great camera is only one part of what it takes to create a finalist-worthy film. “The thing you need to work on most is the script,” he says. “No image, even the most beautiful, can replace a good story. It also helps to rehearse with the actors beforehand, especially when you are short of time on location. That way, the dynamic, psychology and posture of the characters, as well as the performances, are already in place when you start filming. Then all you have to do is refine it and enjoy yourself.”

The entry process

The festival’s deliberately short format is central to its appeal, lowering the barriers to production while giving filmmakers the freedom to tell a story in just two minutes and 20 seconds. As such, entrants are invited to submit either a short film or a mini series of six episodes, each the same length. The process begins with an idea inspired by the year’s set theme, then filmmakers gather their team, register on the festival website and start creating their project. Once filmed, edited and finalised, the work is submitted to their account, with entrants later receiving a notification as to when their film will be shown.

Next comes the judging, with a total of 50 finalists chosen after a three-stage filtering process. First, all entries are viewed by the festival organisers, who create an initial shortlist of several hundred films. These are then individually assessed by a committee of industry professionals using criteria such as script, direction, cinematography, editing, sound, emotion, originality and relevance to the brief. Finally, around 150 to 200 films are screened in a cinema, where a committee of experts deliberates and confirms the final 50, which forms the basis for the main jury prizes, while other awards within the festival follow their own criteria.

Inspired to take part? The festival has already teased its 17th edition on Instagram, with more details expected in July. For more information about this year’s winners or to watch their films, check out the dedicated Nikon Film Festival channel.

Awards at a glance

Short Film Competition 

• Grand Jury Award: L'Éclat, directed by Tansi Makélé
• Special Mention: Parfaite, directed by Nicolas Moreau and Léo Grandperret
• International Award: Sirène, directed by Élise Rale
• Critic’s Choice Award: Toussez, directed by Adrien Marcel
• Best Actress Award: Olivia Machon for Less is More, directed by André Rodrigues Lopes
• Best Actor Award: Nassim Gacem for Le Rendez-vous, directed by Romain Lafargue and Thibault Lafargue
• Best Direction Award: W Twoich Oczach (Dans tes yeux), directed by Thomas Arnaud
• Best Screenplay Award: Le Bijou, written and directed by Anthony Sonigo
• Best Photography Award: L’Éclat, photography by Ana Maria Miranda, directed by Tansi Makélé
• Best Editing Award: Aesthetic, edited and directed by Stéphane Boye
• Best Soundtrack Award: Hairitage, music by Louis Azaud and Antoine Barbot, directed by Eléonore Behiri
• Student Film Award: Alaska Mike, directed by Jérémy Brondoni, Académie des Arts Dramatiques de Chantilly
• Konbini Award for Originality and Creativity: Le Casier, directed by Hugo Chetelat
• Sens Critique Award: La Pelle et la Bête, directed by Romain Thirion
• Audience Award: Coupez!, directed by Yeux Ébènes, Jeremie Makiese and Tom Creuzet

Mini Series Competition 

• Grand Jury Award: Prunelle, directed by Camille Charavet
• Best Screenplay Award: Nos plus beaux moments, directed by Aurélien Leleux
• Best Performance Award: Luc Chareyron for Prunelle, directed by Camille Charavet
• Best Photography Award: Emmanuel Chevilliat for Prunelle, directed by Camille Charavet
• Audience Award: Toute (en) beauté, directed by Shérazade Khalladi