The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival drew to a close this evening with a Closing Ceremony at the Salle des Princes in the Grimaldi Forum, hosted by Ricky Whittle and Louise Ekland. Their Serenes Highness Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene attended the event, presenting major distinctions before an audience of television executives, industry professionals, media representatives and fans gathered from around the world.
The anniversary edition brought together influential figures from across the international audiovisual industry, with this year’s Official Selection featuring 24 programmes spanning the Fiction, Feature Reports & News and Digital categories. For the first time in the Festival’s history, Golden Nymph Awards were presented in the Digital category, reflecting the growing weight of digital creators and original online storytelling within the wider television landscape.
The headline honour of the evening, the Crystal Nymph, went to Kurt Russell in recognition of a career spanning more than six decades, from Escape from New York, The Thing and Tombstone to more recent work including The Hateful Eight, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Princess Charlene presented the award in person.
British actor Matthew Broome received the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent, also presented by Princess Charlene. Broome rose to international prominence through his leading role in My Fault: London for Prime Video and his performance in Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers.
Across the week, the Festival staged 13 screenings, including four French premieres, five international premieres and four world premieres, alongside more than 29 public events ranging from autograph sessions to behind-the-scenes discussions and conferences. Guests included Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Ester Expósito, Lesley Manville, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, John Hannah and David Boreanaz, among numerous other producers, creators and industry executives.
The Business Forum once again served as a central meeting point for the industry, with three days of discussions covering the creative process, audience engagement, emerging technologies and the future of premium television. Speakers included Michael Hirst, Aldis Hodge, Ben Watkins, Rola Bauer, Kevin McKidd and Susanne Daniels. The second edition of the Tell Me A Story! pitch contest, run in partnership with 1895 Films, saw nine young filmmakers present original projects to an international panel. Mariana Machado of Portugal’s Universidade Lusófona was named winner for her project Late to Desire: The Sex Lives They Never Had.
Organisers reported that more than 1,500 interviews were conducted over the course of the Festival by journalists from media outlets around the world.
Prince Albert II said the Festival had once again demonstrated the vitality, diversity and creativity of the international audiovisual industry, describing the anniversary edition as a celebration of storytelling’s power to inspire, entertain and bring people together.
Laurent Puons, General Manager of the Festival, called the anniversary edition a remarkable success, thanking partners, juries, talent, media and his team for making it such a memorable year. Executive Director Cécile Ménoni said the edition had once again shown the Festival’s unique ability to bring together every facet of the international audiovisual community, from competition screenings and premieres to public events and industry discussions.
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival will return for its 66th edition in 2027.
