Cannes, FRANCE – May 5, 2026 – SAG Award-winning Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Luce, Waves, Elvis), is joining the jury for the Golden Globes Prize for Documentary in Partnership with Artemis Rising Foundation during the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, 2026.
Returning to Cannes for a second year, the prize honours a filmmaker who has made a significant contribution to documentary filmmaking and whose work addresses urgent social issues.
The prize was launched last year and presented across major international festivals to recognise excellence in documentary filmmaking. It was awarded to Eugene Jarecki at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with a jury including actor and producer Tessa Thompson, and to Ross McElwee at the 82nd Venice International Film with a jury including Teo Yoo and Jharrel Jerome.
A BAFTA Rising Star and Independent Spirit Award nominee, Harrison Jr. represents a new generation of talent deeply committed to storytelling with cultural and social relevance. He voiced Taka in Mufasa: The Lion King, will portray Jean-Michel Basquiat in Samo Lives and star in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping coming to theatres this Fall. He joins the established jury for the Prize, which includes Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne, Academy Award winning producer and Founder of Artemis Rising Foundation Regina K. Scully; Academy Award winning producer and Co-Founder of Impact Partners Geralyn White Dreyfous, and Founder and CEO of Think-Film Impact Production Danielle Turkov Wilson.
Harrison Jr. said: “I’m honoured to support this important Prize and to celebrate the extraordinary documentary filmmakers whose work shines a light on urgent stories around the world.”
Scully said: “Artemis Rising Foundation is proud to honour outstanding filmmakers who have demonstrated a commitment to documentaries. We believe that meaningful documentary storytelling has the power to inspire fierce compassion and help shape a better future. We’re delighted to collaborate with the Golden Globes on this important Prize, amplifying exceptional talent and elevating the documentary genre on a global stage.”
All finalists are filmmakers with a film either in the official selection of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, official side events or special screenings, and have demonstrated commitment to documentary filmmaking throughout their career. The jury will consider the following filmmakers: Steven Soderbergh, Pegah Ahangarani, Ron Howard, Christophe Dimitri Réveille, David Tryhorn & Ben Nicholas, Gessica Généus, Diego Luna, Alexander Murphy.
The winner will be announced by Harrison Jr. at a private invitation-only event on May 18th, 2026 at the Plage des Palmes venue, which includes a panel discussion with the jury, a prize giving ceremony and a celebration reception.
Hoehne said: “We are proud to return to Cannes to honour an outstanding documentary filmmaker. This Prize highlights the Golden Globes’ continued commitment to innovation and to elevating documentaries on the global stage.”
Dreyfous said: “With factual storytelling facing many barriers at the moment, highlighting the power of documentaries has never been more crucial.”
The May 18th event is supported by Think-Film Impact Production. The Prize highlights the Golden Globes’ and Artemis Rising Foundation’s joint commitment to recognising the importance of documentary filmmaking. The winner will receive a EUR 10,000 cash award in recognition of their contribution to the documentary field.
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Contact : Think-Film Impact Production – Mercy Brewer – mercy.brewer@tfip.org
Notes:
About Golden Globes®
As a premier entertainment awards show since 1944, the annual Golden Globes has honored achievements in both television and film. Over the last three decades, the Golden Globes has enabled donations of more than $55 million to entertainment-related charities including scholarship programs, film restoration projects and humanitarian efforts. This funding has also supported diverse programs in partnership with advocacy groups aimed at promoting greater access in Hollywood for underserved communities. Dick Clark Productions is the owner and producer of the Golden Globes. For more information on the Golden Globes, please visit GoldenGlobes.com and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and TikTok.
About Artemis Rising Foundation
Artemis Rising Foundation is dedicated to supporting media, arts and education projects that transform our culture. Academy Award winning producer and Founder Regina K. Scully champions powerful stories about challenging issues with fierce compassion including trauma recovery, mental health, addiction, regenerative farming and other important ecological issues concerning clean soil, seeds and food. Artemis Rising Foundation has helped produce some of the most impactful documentary films of our time, inspiring meaningful changes in education, public policy, and culture. Award-winning films such as WHAT WOULD SOFIA LOREN DO?, THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, THE FANTASTIC FUNGI, THE INVISIBLE WAR, ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS, FED UP, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, COMMON GROUND, KISS THE GROUND, BEE WILD and GROUNDSWELL. The Foundation has worked closely with renowned filmmakers around the world, including Morgan Neville, Katie Couric, Ross Kauffman, Louie Schwartzberg, Freida Mock, Liz Garbus, Amy Ziering, Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Laura Dern and Alex Gibney. Artemis Rising Foundation has supported hundreds of films, many Peabody, Emmy and Academy Award-winning. Artemis Rising Foundation supports documentaries, narrative film, television, theater, education, and sustainable regenerative farming that inspire innovation and change around the world. You can find the Foundation on Instagram here and the Foundation film website here.
About Think-Film Impact Production
Think-Film Impact Production is the world’s premiere impact media company. Think-Film partners with international independent feature storytellers to advance social justice at the highest levels of international policy and governance. Think-Film has brought impact into the A-list film festival circuit including, co-launching the Cannes Marche du Film impACT programme in 2021 and awarding the Venice Collateral Impact Award in 2023 and 2024, with jury members including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alia Shawkat, Adjoa Andoh, Nadine Labaki, Yalitza Aparicio, Elsa Zylberstein. Think-Film has led impact on more than 50 films over the past 10 years, including: MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2026 Academy Award and BAFTA winner), THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (2026 Academy Award and BAFTA nominee), NAVALNY (2023 Academy Award and BAFTA winner), BLACK BOX DIARIES (2025 Peabody winner, BAFTA and Academy Award nominee), THE END (Tilda Swinton feature from Joshua Oppenheimer), and DARK WATERS (Mark Ruffalo feature from Todd Haynes).
About the prize: The Golden Globes and Artemis Rising Foundation first launched this Prize for documentary at Cannes Film Festival 2025, with aj ury including actor and producer Tessa Thompson, which awarded Eugene Jarecki the Prize. Jarecki’s Cannes-premiering documentary on Julian Assange, THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN, went on to win the L’Oeil d’or Special Jury Prize. The Prize was later awarded at Venice Film Festival 2025, with a jury including actor Teo Yoo and actor-musician Jharrel Jerome, to Ross McElwee’s documentary REMAKE. This Prize also builds on Think-Film’s established impact presence at Cannes and Venice Film Festivals.
