The jury of the 28th Alpe d’Huez festival revealed its prize list this Saturday, January 18. The comedy “Avignon” by Johann Dionnet won three prizes including the Grand Jury Prize. Discover all the distinctions awarded during this 2025 edition.
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At the end of a week of screenings and competition, the jury of the Alpe d’Huez international comedy film festival revealed the winners. Johann Dionnet’s feature film “Avignon” won the festival’s Grand Prize. Here is the complete list of winners for this 28th edition which gives pride of place to first films:
Johann Dionnet’s comedy “Avignon” crowned with success
The comedy entitled “Avignon” directed by Johann Dionnet won the Grand Prix. A great success for this first film which was still in the editing phase a few weeks ago. Shot last September, the film was selected at the last minute at Alpe d’Huez.
The story plunges us into the middle of the Avignon festival when two actors meet again by chance after years. Stéphane, played by Baptiste Lecaplain, arrives at the Cité des Papes to perform a modest boulevard play. Fallen under the spell of Fanny, played by Elisa Erka, he finally sinks into a lie, thus sending him to the stage for the role of Rodrigue in the prestigious “Cid” by Corneille.
A meeting and a story that capsized the hearts of the jury chaired by Elsa Zylberstein. The film was in competition with nine other feature films. It also received the Coup de Coeur des Alpes prize from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the Canal + prize for best film. It should be released in theaters next spring or summer.
“The rules of Art” receives the special jury prize
Also in competition, the comedy “The rules of art” by Dominique Baumard was awarded the special jury prize. For his very first film, the filmmaker chose to put the duo Melvil Poupaud – Sofiane Zermani.
A “dandy romantic” and a former rapper turned actor team up to play two crooks who get their hands on five masterpieces at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris in 2010. This heist film was directed by young director Dominique Baumard.
-“We just loved accompanying him. He’s someone with whom we really had some laughs. What if we were a comedy duo. You have to say that with him, we were a trio behind the camera!“, greets Sofiane Zermani. Theatrical release scheduled for April 30.
Public favorite for “The Answering Machine”
Among the other winners, “The Answer Machine” by Fabienne Godet won over the public. It received the special public prize and thus succeeds “Et plus si affinities” by Olivier Dycray and Wilfried Meance.
Through this film, Fabienne Godet tells the story of Baptiste, a talented imitator played by Salif Cissé, approached one day by a famous but discreet novelist. The latter, Pierre Chozène then asks him to become his answering machine so that he can continue writing his novel in peace.
But the young Baptiste goes much further and is not content to imitate the novelist. He develops his character and crosses boundaries. The film will be released in theaters on June 4.
Juliette Gasquet, Hélène Vincent and Benjamin Lavernhe crowned best performers
The female performance prize was awarded to Hélène Vincent and Juliette Gasquet for “On ira” by Enya Barroux. In this first film which will be released in theaters on March 12, the two actresses play the role of a grandmother and her granddaughter. The first, aged 80, wants to go to Switzerland to end her life but does not dare to announce it to her family. She then decides to invent a lie.
Benjamin Lavernhe, for his part, won the prize for male interpretation for his role in “The mixture of genres” by Michel Leclerc. A crazy comedy where Simone, a police officer with conservative ideas played by Léa Drucker, infiltrates a feminist collective.
At the end of this 28th edition of the international comedy film festival, the jury chaired by Elsa Zylberstein awarded his special mention prize to the film “Love is overrated” by Mourad Winter.
Finally, in terms of the short films in competition, it was the comedy “Fingers in Gold” by Chryssa Florou which was crowned.
