Belgian director Valéry Carnoy’s debut feature Wild Foxes (La Danse des renards) has been awarded the Europa Cinemas Cannes Label for Best European Film at the 2025 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The prize, announced Thursday ahead of the section’s closing ceremony, is one of three awards presented during Directors’ Fortnight, which remains officially non-competitive. The Europa Cinemas Label is granted by one of the sidebar’s partners and is intended to support the distribution of standout European films.
Wild Foxes stars France’s Samuel Kirchner, previously nominated for a César for Last Summer (2023). In the film, Kirchner plays Camille, a top young boxer at an elite sports academy. After a minor injury, Camille’s confidence crumbles, forcing him to confront the violent masculinity he once embraced.
The Europa Cinemas jury praised the film as “a bittersweet and touching drama,” noting its strength in avoiding sports film clichés. “Wild Foxes tackles the burning issue of young male friendship and fragility,” the jury said. “The ensemble cast is exceptionally strong and gives the film real power.”
Produced by Belgium’s Helicotronc and France’s Les Films du Poisson, Wild Foxes is represented by The Party Film Sales at Cannes. Carnoy’s earlier short, Ma planète, won the New Talent award at Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival.
Directors’ Fortnight will also announce the People’s Choice Award and the SACD Prize later today. French filmmaker Thomas Cailley is set to receive the inaugural Alpine Prize, honoring boundary-pushing storytellers in French and international cinema.
The Europa Cinemas Label, launched in 2003, is also awarded at major festivals including Berlin, Venice, Karlovy Vary, and Locarno. Past Cannes recipients include Mustang, Les Combattants, and A Chiara.
Related topics:
