Actress and musician Tessa Thompson, known for “Creed,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Men in Black: International,” will present the first-ever Golden Globe prize for documentary during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
This inaugural award, presented by Artemis Rising Foundation, honors a documentary film director for “their contribution in shaping the documentary genre and challenging the way audiences see the world.”
Regina K. Scully, founder and CEO of Artemis Rising Foundation, said: “The Artemis Rising Foundation is proud to shine a light on outstanding documentaries in the Cannes Film Festival. We believe socially impactful storytelling is more important than ever in our ever-changing world. We are excited to collaborate with the Golden Globes to present this essential inaugural award to a documentary filmmaker and elevate the genre.”
The jury for the award includes president of Golden Globes, Helen Hoehne; Scully; co-founder of Impact Partners, Geralyn White Dreyfous; and Thompson. The jury will select a winning filmmaker from among finalists Raoul Peck, Eugene Jarecki, Alex Gibney, Mariska Hargitay, and Andrew Dominik, all of whom have a documentary premiere in this year’s Cannes selection.
The prize winner will be announced by Thompson at a Cannes Film Market event on May 19 at the Plages des Palmes venue, which includes a panel discussion, award ceremony and celebration reception.
Hoehne said: “This prize is a hugely significant step forward for the Golden Globes in honoring documentary filmmaking. It reflects the Golden Globes’ approach to innovating new frontiers at a time when highlighting and supporting factual storytelling has never been more critical.”
White Dreyfous said: “At this volatile time in the business of documentary storytelling, this prize is a true beacon of hope for creatives, especially those who risk their lives to bring us truth and challenge our perspectives every day.”
Thompson said: “I’m honored to support this important prize and hope it leads to even greater recognition of the value that documentaries have for bringing truth to society.”
The award launch and May 19 event is supported by Think-Film Impact Production.
Founder and CEO Danielle Turkov Wilson will moderate the panel discussion around the prize presentation, which will also feature Rémi Lainé, president of La Scam, the documentary program at Cannes Film Festival, and White Dreyfous.
The prize also launches at the 30-year anniversary of the Cannes L’Œil d’or documentary award presented by La Scam.
The winner will receive Euros 10,000 cash award in recognition of their contribution in the documentary field.