“The Atlas of the Universe”, directed by Paul Negoescu, in the Cannes Écrans Juniors 2026 selection. The jury is made up of children
The film “Atlas of the Universe”, awarded this year at the international festivals in Berlin and Sofia, is part of the Cannes Écrans Juniors selection, presented during the 79th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival.
The selection made by Pierre de Gardebosc, Gérard Camy and Aurélie Ferrier includes films of general interest for children and teenagers, which provoke reflection, evoke civilizations, ways of life, stories from several countries and exciting topics that can become important topics of dialogue in the school environment, while also giving students an introduction to the art of cinema. The feature films in the Cannes Écrans Juniors section will be judged by children.
“The selection at Cannes Écrans Juniors means a rare and honorable opportunity to have the film presented both in Berlin and in the context of the Cannes Film Festival, and to put it in direct dialogue with its audience,” said director Paul Negoescu.
The first Romanian film for children that is part of this parallel, educational and cultural selection held under the umbrella of the Cannes Film Festival, dedicated especially to young people over 13 years old, “Atlas of the Universe”, will be presented alongside titles such as “Chicas triste” (dir. Fernanda Tovar, Mexico, Spain, France), “Omaha” (dir. Cole Webley, USA), “Sham” (dir. Takashi Miike – Japan), “The Good Daughter” (dir. Julia De Paz Solvas, Spain), “Une année italienne” (dir. Laura Samani, Italy, France), “Vanilla” (dir. Mayra Hermosillo, Mexico).
The feature film “Atlas of the Universe”, produced by the production company deFilm (Romania) in co-production with Screening Emotions (Bulgaria) and Avanpost Media (Romania), was named the Best Film in the international competition for films for teenagers at the Sofia International Film Festival, edition 30. and received the Special Mention of the International Jury of the Berlinale Generation Kplus of the Berlin International Film Festival, edition 76.
Based on a screenplay written by Paul Negoescu (“Two lottery tickets”, “Working people”, “Ancă two lottery tickets”, “The story of a summer loser”, “A month in Thailand”) and Mihai Mincan (“Milk teeth”, “Toward the North”), the film “Atlas of the Universe” speaks with humor and tenderness about childhood, courage and the power of imagination.
A ten-year-old boy who accidentally buys two shoes for his right foot embarks on his first adventurous journey outside the village where he lives, discovering a surprising world and unexpected friends.
