The 39th edition of the Festival international de cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA) concluded Saturday with the presentation of the La Vague Awards, recognizing excellence in French-language cinema. The awards, presented at the Aberdeen Cultural Center, honor films across fiction, documentary, and short film categories, highlighting the contributions of filmmakers to both Atlantic canada’s and the wider Francophone world’s cultural landscape[[1]]. This year’s winners represent a diverse range of perspectives and cinematic achievements.
Share this content via
FICFA Announces Winners of the La Vague Awards at its 39th Edition
The juries of the 39th edition of the Festival international de cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA) presented the 2025 La Vague Awards during a ceremony at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre on Saturday, November 22nd.
This year, seven awards were presented by three juries, each comprised of three professionals from the artistic field: one jury for fiction feature films, one for documentaries, and one for short films. The festival celebrates French-language cinema and its impact on Atlantic Canada and the broader Francophone world.
After congratulating all the filmmakers for their active role in preserving and promoting Acadian culture, despite the challenges and constant changes within the industry, the documentary jury – composed of Simon Madore, Louise Lalonde, and Clotilde Vatrinet – revealed its decisions.
- La Vague Award for Best Medium or Long Documentary: ET LES POISSONS VOLENT AU-DESSUS DE NOS TÊTES by Dima El-Horr (Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, France), recognized for its boldness in revealing, with poetry and nuance, the inner lives of reserved men, giving them a genuine presence and emotional depth.
- La Vague Léonard-Forest Award for Best Acadian Medium or Long Work: AMIR MON PETIT PRINCE by Julien Cadieux (Production du Milieu), lauded for its positive outlook, which, through the tenacity of its character, unveils a reality often unknown to the public and breaks down barriers surrounding disability by highlighting its possibilities.
The fiction feature film jury, consisting of Denise Bouchard, Caroline Monnet, and Vincent René-Lortie, announced the following winners:
- La Vague UNIS TV Award for Best Canadian Fiction Feature Film: MON FILS NE REVINT QUE 7 JOURS by Yan Giroux (Canada, Québec). The jury highlighted a film that is intimate and meticulously constructed, with a stunningly elegant mise-en-scène that is both restrained and precise, enhanced by an impressionistic framing. The performances are remarkably nuanced, showcasing exceptional direction. The film also stands out for its ability to materialize the invisible, through a delicate minimalism, whispering rather than demonstrating, and hitting the mark.
- La Vague Award for Best International Fiction Feature Film: L’INTÉRÊT D’ADAM by Laura Wandel (Belgium). The jury was deeply moved by this work, which fosters empathy and invites reflection on violence, vulnerability, and collective responsibility. With sincere and convincing performances, the film immerses viewers in an oppressive yet captivating atmosphere, where the lack of excessive explanation encourages an intuitive experience.
The short film jury, comprised of Ariane Roy-Poirier, Evar Simon, and Adama Bineta Sow, also recognized several films for their excellence.
-
La Vague ACIC/ONF Award for Best Acadian Short Film: MA COMPLICE by Serge Arseneault (Canada, Bellefeuille production) for its masterful execution and sensitive approach, and for its protagonist, who is both endearing and inspiring, transforming her difference into a true strength. This award includes a $7,500 CAD technical services grant from ACIC (ONF’s independent film aid fund).
- La Vague Award for Best Canadian Short Film: A DYING TREE by Vincent René-Lortie (Canada, Telescope Films) for its powerful visuals and deeply visceral choreography, for the dynamic interplay between the camera and the dancer, for its transcendent sound design, and for its exceptional direction that conveys the full brutality of a collapsing world.
- Mention – Canadian Short Film: For its contagious energy, mirroring its protagonist, and its playful and inventive formal treatment, the jury gave a special mention to the luminous Mes murs-mémoire by Axel Robin (Canada, Québec).
- La Vague Award for Best International Short Film: LA RIVIÈRE DES OURSES by Anaïs Mauzat (Belgium) for its magnificent and terrifying drawings, its rich symbolism, and its powerful themes relating to the connection with nature and the sacred strength of feminine energy, the only force capable of resisting the dehumanization of an alienating industrial world. The jury found the film deeply haunting.
- Mention – International Short Film: For its powerful message addressed with great delicacy, for the natural and disarming performance, and for its impactful and intimate look at the female condition, the jury gave a special mention to Les Jardins du paradis by Sonia Terrab (Morocco, France).
The La Vague Coup de cœur Award will be presented after the festival, following a public vote.
About FICFA
The Festival international de cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA) is organized by Film Zone Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and make accessible cinema from the international Francophonie to French speakers and Francophiles in Atlantic Canada, while also showcasing Acadian cinema in Acadia and throughout the Francophonie.
***
Share this content via
