Respected by critics and filmmakers alike, the Ecumenical Jury has
been part and parcel of the Cannes film festival for the past 34
years.

More often than not, the awards given by the Ecumenical Jury bear the
same distinction, the same renomé, the same mark of excellence as
those handed out by the festival's International Jury and the FIPRESCI
International Critics Jury.

On some occasions in the past, when the decisions of the Ecumenical
and FIPRESCI Juries have overlapped, the respective awards were handed
out jointly to the winning filmmaker.

Composed of six jury members – three appointed by SIGNIS (World
Catholic Association for Communication) and three by INTERFILM
(International Intercurch Film Organization) – the Ecumenical Jury can
look back on some remarkable achievements in its bid to support
quality productions by visionary filmmakers.

One look at the record confirms its status as a respected voice in
active support of films that "touch the spiritual dimension of our
existence, expressing the values of justice, human dignity, respect
for the environment, peace and solidarity." In other words, "these
values, shared in all cultures, are those of the Christian Gospel."

During its early years at Cannes, the Ecumenical Jury invited such
celebrated filmmakers as Poland Krzysztof Zanussi and Hungary's Imre
Gyöngyössy to serve as jury members. Zanussi was jury president in
1983, when Andrei Tarkovsky's Nostalghia (Nostalgia) (Italy) was
awarded the Ecumenical Prize.

In the recent past, the Ecumenical Jury has awarded two films directed
by Iranian filmmakers: Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Safar é Ghandehar (Road to
Kandahar, aka Kandahar) (Iran/France, 2001) and Samira Makhmalbaf's
Pan é asr (At Five in the Afternoon) (Iran/France, 2003). Shot in
Afghanistan, both films pleaded in exacting times for more tolerance
and understanding among peoples and cultures.

Moreover, while Kandahar and At Five in the Afternoon made history at
Cannes, their awards by the Ecumenical Jury also boosted their chances
for broader distribution around the globe.

Over the years, the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes has continually awarded
outstanding films that reflect not only the ever evolving standards of
film art, but also the spiritual pursuit of talented filmmakers as
they seek meaningful answers to existence in today's complex world.
Its openness to social, cultural and religious diversity is reflected
in its decisions.

To mention just a few: Theo Angelopoulos's Mia eoniotita ke mia mera
(Eternity and One Day) (Greece, 1998, Golden Palm winner), Shinji
Aoyama's Eureka (Japan, 2000), Aki Kaurismäki's Mies vailla
meneisyyttä (The Man Without a Past) (Finland, 2002), Walter Salles's
Diarios de motocicleta (Motorcycle Diaries) (Brazil, 2004), Michael
Haneke's Caché (Hidden) (Austria/France, 2005), Alejandro González
Iñárritu's Babel (Mexico/USA, 2006), and Fatih Akin's Auf der anderen
Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (Germany/Turkey, 2007).

True, all these Ecumenical Jury award winners were heralded in the
media as authentic works of film art. But they also can be described
as films that strove to define the very meaning of life itself.

The same is pretty much true of other films awarded by an Ecumenical
Jury at key international festivals throughout the year – at Berlin,
Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Montreal, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Kiev, Leipzig,
Leipzig, Oberhausen, Cottbus, Zlin, Plzen, to name just the first
dozen that come to mind.

Indeed, Hans Hodel, Swiss festival coordinator at Interfilm, takes
pride in annually adding a new festival to his list for both
Ecumenical and Interfilm jury work. He notes, too, how often Interfilm
Awards at specialized festivals – like Saarbrücken, a German-language
event, or Lübeck, a Scandinavian showcase – are publicized on EuroNews
and other media outlets.

Considering the heavy screening schedule, plus other demanding
protocol challenges to be met at Cannes, how does the Ecumenical Jury
there manage to get the job done? To say nothing of arriving at
cross-cultural decisions in regard to film entries that puzzle even
the most astute of film critics.

One reason is its organizational acumen.

Denyse Muller, as a key member of the Interfilm Board of Directors,
knows Cannes like the back of her hand. Not just the inner workings of
the festival, but also its traditional values as a major showcase of
film art. This year, she and her SIGNIS colleague, Jos Horemans,
welcomed six jury members from France, Germany, Canada, Lebanon, and
the Czech Republic.

Another reason is its commitment to the spiritual dimension in the cinema.

The Ecumenical Prize at Cannes 2008 was awarded to Atom Egoyan's
Adoration (Canada), a film that explores cultural intolerance and
misinformation.

"Adoration invites us to re-evaluate existing cliches about the Other
or that which is foreign in our own culture and religion," the
Ecumenical Jury stated in its declaration.

"I am overwhelmed by this prize because it places my film in another
context," said Egoyan upon receiving his award. "Adoration is an
intimate film. It's very much rooted in my culture. The jury got the
movie."

Eleven years ago, back in 1997, the Toronto-based, Armenian-Canadian
filmmaker was also awarded the Ecumenical Prize for The Sweet
Hereafter.

Mies vailla meneisyyttä (The Man Without a Past) (Finland, 2002),
Walter Salles's Diarios de motocicleta (Motorcycle Diaries) (Brazil,
2004), Michael Haneke's Caché (Hidden) (Austria/France, 2005),
Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel (Mexico/USA, 2006), and Fatih
Akin's Auf der anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven) (Germany/Turkey,
2007).

True, all these Ecumenical Jury award winners were heralded in the
media as authentic works of film art. But they also can be described
as films that strove to define the very meaning of life itself.

The same is pretty much true of other films awarded by an Ecumenical
Jury at key international festivals throughout the year – at Berlin,
Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Montreal, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Kiev, Leipzig,
Leipzig, Oberhausen, Cottbus, Zlin, Plzen, to name just the first
dozen that come to mind.

Indeed, Hans Hodel, Swiss festival coordinator at Interfilm, takes
pride in annually adding a new festival to his list for both
Ecumenical and Interfilm jury work. He notes, too, how often Interfilm
Awards at specialized festivals – like Saarbrücken, a German-language
event, or Lübeck, a Scandinavian showcase – are publicized on EuroNews
and other media outlets.

Considering the heavy screening schedule, plus other demanding
protocol challenges to be met at Cannes, how does the Ecumenical Jury
there manage to get the job done? To say nothing of arriving at
cross-cultural decisions in regard to film entries that puzzle even
the most astute of film critics.

One reason is its organizational acumen.

Denyse Muller, as a key member of the Interfilm Board of Directors,
knows Cannes like the back of her hand. Not just the inner workings of
the festival, but also its traditional values as a major showcase of
film art. This year, she and her SIGNIS colleague, Jos Horemans,
welcomed six jury members from France, Germany, Canada, Lebanon, and
the Czech Republic.

Another reason is its commitment to the spiritual dimension in the cinema.

The Ecumenical Prize at Cannes 2008 was awarded to Atom Egoyan's
Adoration (Canada), a film that explores cultural intolerance and
misinformation.

"Adoration invites us to re-evaluate existing cliches about the Other
or that which is foreign in our own culture and religion," the
Ecumenical Jury stated in its declaration.

"I am overwhelmed by this prize because it places my film in another
context," said Egoyan upon receiving his award. "Adoration is an
intimate film. It's very much rooted in my culture. The jury got the
movie."

Eleven years ago, back in 1997, the Toronto-based, Armenian-Canadian
filmmaker was also awarded the Ecumenical Prize for The Sweet
Hereafter.