Paul Is Here directed by Valentina Maurel of INSAS, Belgium is the First Prize winner of the 2017 Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury headed by Cristian Mungiu and including Clotilde Hesme, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Barry Jenkins and Eric Khoo, awarded the 2017 Cinéfondation Prizes during a ceremony held in the Buñuel Theatre, followed by the screening of the winning films.

The Cinéfondation Selection consisted of 16 student films, chosen out of 2,600 entries coming from 626 film schools around the world.

First Prize
Paul Is Here (PAUL EST LÀ)
directed by Valentina Maurel
INSAS, Belgium

Second Prize
Animal (HEYVAN)
directed by Bahram & Bahman Ark
Iranian National School of Cinema, Iran

Third Prize
Two Youths Died (DEUX ÉGARÉS SONT MORTS)
directed by Tommaso Usberti
La Fémis, France

The Cinéfondation allocates a €15,000 grant for the First Prize, €11,250 for the Second and €7,500 for the Third. The winner of the First Prize is also guaranteed the presentation of his/her first feature film at the Festival de Cannes.