![[Clockwise from top left]: Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloe Zhao, Ryan Coogler, Park Chan-wook](https://d1nslcd7m2225b.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/9/0/0/1467900_writerdirectors_192733.jpg)
David Borenstein’s secretly shot Russia-Ukraine war documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin has won the Crystal Arrow for best film at the 17th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival, which ran from December 13-20 in the French mountain resort town.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin was shot secretly over two years by the film’s co-director Pavel Talankin, a teacher at a small Russian primary school, when he was required to comply with a new patriotic education policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He became an unlikely whistleblower on Russian propaganda.
The film also took home the prize for best original soundtrack for Michal Rataj and Jonas Struck. Loco Films will release in France on January 7, 2026 and Denmark’s DR Sales is handling international sales. The Crystal Arrow is worth €40,000 to be spent on the film’s digital campaign around its French release and the soundtrack award a further €1,000. The film world premiered at Sundance where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award.
Kirk Jones’ comedy drama about Tourette’s syndrome I Swear also swept through the awards with a hat trick, taking home the Audience Award, a shared best acting prize for its stars Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson, and the Youth Jury Prize.
The 1980s UK-set film, based on Scottish real-life Tourette’s Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, first premiered at TIFF in September and was released in the UK by Studiocanal in October. Sony Pictures Classics acquired it for a US release and Tandem will release it in France next April. Bankside Films is handling international sales.
Urska Djukic’s Little Trouble Girls, about an introverted Catholic girl’s sexual awakening, earned the Grand Jury award. The debut feature from the Slovenian director took home a €10,000 Les Arcs’ Industry Village award back in 2023 in the Work in Progress section before continuing to rack up prizes including the FIPRESCI award at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and a Best Cinematography award at Tribeca.
Milan Andrik earned another best acting prize for Slovak director Tereza Nvotová’s Father, which premiered in Venice’s Horizons section, about a devoted father whose life is shattered by a single tragic mistake.
Hungarian writer-director Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend, which premiered in Venice’s competition this year, took home the award for best cinematography for Gergely Palos. Enyedi was also honoured with the Sisley / Les Arcs Femme du Cinema prize for female filmmaker of the year.
Spanish filmmaker Isabelle Coixet won the Cinglés du Cinéma prize for her TIFF-premiering romantic drama Three Goodbyes, and the Cineuropa award went to Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga’s San Sebastian-premiering Spanish drama Maspalomas.
Director Domink Moll presided over this year’s jury alongside actors Damien Bonnard, Monia Chokri, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Brazilian composer-cellist-singer Dom La Nena.
The awards were handed out at the festival’s closing night ceremony on Friday (December 19), followed by the premiere of Jean-Paul Salomé’s counterfeiter thriller The Money Maker starring Reda Kateb.
This year’s festival showcased more than 100 films and drew more than 25,000 people, plus 1,000 industry professionals for its parallel Industry Village programme. Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Bruhl, and Tarik Saleh were honoured for their careers and each gave a masterclass.
Les Arcs 2025 winners
Crystal Arrow for best film: Mr Nobody Against Putin, dir. David Borenstein, co-dir. Pavel Talankin
Grand Jury prize: Little Trouble Girls, dir. Urska Djukic
Audience award: I Swear, dir. Kirk Jones
Youth jury prize: I Swear, dir. Kirk Jones
Acting awards:
Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson for I Swear
Milan Andrik for Father
Best original soundtrack: Mr Nobody Against Putin
Best cinematography: Gregely Palos for Silent Friend
Cineuropa prize: Maspalomas, dir. Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga
Cingles du cinema prize: Three Goodbyes, dir. Isabelle Coixet
David Borenstein’s secretly shot Russia-Ukraine war documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin has won the Crystal Arrow for best film at the 17th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival, which ran from December 13-20 in the French mountain resort town.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin was shot secretly over two years by the film’s co-director Pavel Talankin, a teacher at a small Russian primary school, when he was required to comply with a new patriotic education policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He became an unlikely whistleblower on Russian propaganda.
The film also took home the prize for best original soundtrack for Michal Rataj and Jonas Struck. Loco Films will release in France on January 7, 2026 and Denmark’s DR Sales is handling international sales. The Crystal Arrow is worth €40,000 to be spent on the film’s digital campaign around its French release and the soundtrack award a further €1,000. The film world premiered at Sundance where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award.
Kirk Jones’ comedy drama about Tourette’s syndrome I Swear also swept through the awards with a hat trick, taking home the Audience Award, a shared best acting prize for its stars Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson, and the Youth Jury Prize.
The 1980s UK-set film, based on Scottish real-life Tourette’s Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, first premiered at TIFF in September and was released in the UK by Studiocanal in October. Sony Pictures Classics acquired it for a US release and Tandem will release it in France next April. Bankside Films is handling international sales.
Urska Djukic’s Little Trouble Girls, about an introverted Catholic girl’s sexual awakening, earned the Grand Jury award. The debut feature from the Slovenian director took home a €10,000 Les Arcs’ Industry Village award back in 2023 in the Work in Progress section before continuing to rack up prizes including the FIPRESCI award at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and a Best Cinematography award at Tribeca.
Milan Andrik earned another best acting prize for Slovak director Tereza Nvotová’s Father, that first premiered in Venice’s horizons section, about a devoted father whose life is shattered by a single tragic mistake. Hungarian writer-director Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend, that first premiered in Venice’s competition this year, took home the award for best cinematography for Gergely Palos. Enyedi was also honoured with the Sisley / Les Arcs Femme du Cinema prize for female filmmaker of the year. Spanish filmmaker Isabelle Coixet snagged the Cinglés du Cinéma prize for her TIFF-premiering romantic drama Three Goodbyes, and the Cineuropa award went to Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga’s San Sebastian-premiering Spanish drama Maspalomas.
Director Domink Moll presided over this year’s jury alongside actors Damien Bonnard, Monia Chokri, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Brazilian composer-cellist-singer Dom La Nena.
The awards were handed out at the festival’s closing night ceremony on Friday (Dec. 19) followed by the premiere of Jean-Paul Salomé’s counterfeiter thriller The Money Maker starring Reda Kateb.
This year’s festival showcased more than 100 films and drew more than 25,000 people, plus 1,000 industry professionals for its parallel Industry Village programme. Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Bruhl, and Tarik Saleh were honoured for their careers and each gave a masterclass.
Les Arcs 2025 winners
Crystal Arrow for best film: Mr. Nobody Against Putin, dir. David Borenstein, co-dir. Pavel Talankin
Grand Jury prize: Little Trouble Girls, dir. Urska Djukic
Audience award: I Swear, dir. Kirk Jones
Youth jury prize: I Swear, dir. Kirk Jones
Acting awards:
Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson for I Swear
Milan Andrik for Father
Best original soundtrack: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best cinematography: Gregely Palos for Silent Friend
Cineuropa prize: Maspalomas, dir. Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga
Cingles du cinema prize: Three Goodbyes, dir. Isabelle Coixet
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