Mohammed Alshareef’s Super Sila proved to be the standout title at this year’s Cannes Docs Docs-in-Progress awards, unveiled on 19 May during the closing ceremony of the Marché du Film’s documentary-focused programme, overseen by Cannes Docs head Pierre-Alexis Chevit. The Palestinian project collected both the IEFTA Award and the Al Jazeera Documentary Award, emerging as the most-celebrated title among the 33 documentary works in progress presented across eight international showcases.

The Docs-in-Progress section once again brought together projects at advanced stages of editing or post-production from around the globe, offering festival programmers, sales agents and financiers an opportunity to discover upcoming auteur-driven documentaries with international ambitions.

Set against the backdrop of post-7 October Gaza, Super Sila follows two parents attempting to shield their toddler daughter from the violence surrounding them by constructing an imaginary superhero universe in which she becomes the protagonist. The jury praised the film’s blending of fiction and lived reality, highlighting the way the Alshareef family uses storytelling as both protection and emotional survival amid constant bombardments and instability. Alongside the €10,000 IEFTA cash prize and project follow-up support, the film also secured a co-production commitment from Al Jazeera Documentary worth at least $15,000.

Latin American projects also performed strongly. Tana Gilbert’s Burning Daddy, presented in the Chile-Colombia Showcase, received the TransPerfect Media Post-Production Award, consisting of €5,000 in post-production services. The jury commended the project’s “creative visual, artistic and narrative approach” in exploring family trauma and systemic violence against women through an intimate perspective. Another Chile-Colombia Showcase title, Juana Lotero’s Chilapa’s Girl, won the American Documentary Award, which includes a $2,500 cash prize and a potential first-look option for US digital distribution through AmDoc platforms. The jury singled out the pic's observational approach to adolescence and teenage motherhood in a region marked by structural violence and entrenched patriarchy.

Meanwhile, Simon Klose’s Black Dad Buko, showcased in the Five Nordics selection, picked up the Rise and Shine Award for best international commercial potential among projects still seeking sales representation. The jury described it as a “compelling and universal” father-son story engaging with questions of race, migration and identity.

Elsewhere, Alice Nelson’s Scottish project The Undermine received the Alphapanda Award, while Gaza Sunbirds by Flavia Cappellini earned itself the Think-Film Impact Award. Antipodal Dreams by Juanita Onzaga secured the Rulli Putortì & Partners Law Firm Award, and Baba by Giacomo Fausti and Laila Sit Aboha was honoured with the DAE Award. Ashley Duong’s Canadian project Ba’s Book rounded off the list of winners by claiming the Documentary Magazine Award.

The 2026 edition further reinforced Cannes Docs’ position as one of the leading launchpads for international documentary cinema within the Marché du Film ecosystem, combining works-in-progress showcases, networking initiatives and Doc Day industry events aimed at supporting ambitious non-fiction filmmaking from development to festival launch.

Here is the full list of Cannes Docs Docs-in-Progress winners:

IEFTA Award
Super Sila – Mohammed Alshareef (Palestine)
Producer: Ala’ Abu Ghoush

Al Jazeera Documentary Award
Super Sila – Mohammed Alshareef

TransPerfect Media Post-Production Award
Burning Daddy – Tana Gilbert (Chile/Germany/Spain)
Producers: Paola Castillo Villagrán, Dirk Manthey, Carolina Astudillo, Wendy Espinal

Rise and Shine Award
Black Dad Buko – Simon Klose (Sweden)
Producers: Martin Persson, Elin Kamlert

American Documentary Award
Chilapa’s Girl – Juana Lotero (Colombia)
Producers: Martin Persson, Elin Kamlert

Alphapanda Award
The Undermine – Alice Nelson (UK/Ireland)
Producer: Lili Sandelin

Think-Film Impact Award
Gaza Sunbirds – Flavia Cappellini (Belgium/UK/France/Palestine)
Producers: Kristian van der Heyden, Alex King, Andrea Kurland, Lydia Kali, May Jabareen

Rulli Putortì & Partners Law Firm Award
Antipodal Dreams – Juanita Onzaga (Colombia/Mexico)
Producer: Juanita Onzaga

DAE Award
Baba – Giacomo Fausti and Laila Sit Aboha (Italy)
Producer: Marta Melina

Documentary Magazine Award
Ba’s Book – Ashley Duong (Canada)
Producer: Ina Fichman