Méliès Competition
The Federation annually awards a Méliès d’or prize for the best European fantastic feature film and short film. An award which is renowned in Europe and abroad, the Méliès generates visibility for films, its producers and directors. It’s an award that stands for quality, creativity, and imagination.
The Méliès d’or award stands for quality, creativity and imagination
Named after the pioneer of fantastic film in the silent film era, the Méliès Awards are given to the best European fantastic feature and short film at our member festivals. Since its inception in 1995, the Méliès has been awarded to films from all parts of Europe, reflecting the cultural wealth and variety of European fantastic cinema. The first Méliès d’or was awarded in 1996
The Méliès is a cycle of competitions that takes place throughout the year. Eight festivals across Europe present a Méliès d’argent to the best European feature film and the best European short film. Another eleven festivals award a Méliès d’argent for short film only.
Out of these Méliès d’argent feature film winners and short film winners, a jury chooses a Méliès d’or, for the best European fantastic film of the year. The Méliès d’or is presented annually at the Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya in Sitges (Spain).
Feature Film 2025
Méliès d’or Winner
Handling the Undead by Thea Hvistendahl
Short Film 2025
Méliès d’or Winner
Weeds by Pola Kazak
Career Méliès 2025
The 2025 Career Méliès was presented to French filmmaker Christophe Gans, who received the award to a standing ovation from the Festival’s audience. This tribute celebrated the career of Dominique Pinon, the French actor honored during the gala at the Sitges Film Festival with the Méliès Career Award. The Meliá Auditorium gave him a warm and heartfelt welcome. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s filmography wouldn’t be the same without the magic Pinon has unleashed on screen, adapting to different registers in films including Amélie and the gruesome Alien: Resurrection.
Yet the presence of this giant of the performing arts can be traced across a variety of auteur filmographies. From Claude Lelouch (Roman de gare) and Roman Polanski (Frantic) to acclaimed Spanish filmmakers such as Álex de la Iglesia (The Oxford Murders), Javier Fesser (Mortadelo and Filemón: The Big Perfect Adventure), and Kike Maíllo (A Perfect Enemy).
Since 2018, the Federation presents a Career Méliès for outstanding contributions to European fantastic cinema. Recipients were:
Álex de la Iglesia in 2018
Asia Argento in 2019
Paco Plaza in 2020
Lucile Hadzihalilovic in 2021
Claudio Simonetti in 2022
Jorge Guerricaechevarría in 2023
Christophe Gans in 2024.