FINALISTS | SHORTLIST: R · T · D | 2026 COMPETITION
Gerald Heidegger (ORF, Austria), Kåre Vedding Poulsen (DR/SVT, Denmark/Sweden), Isabella David-Zagratzki (ARD, Germany), Giovanni Belli (HEARST, Italy), Rob Unsworth (BBC, United Kingdom).
The President: Kåre Vedding Poulsen (DR/SVT, Denmark/Sweden).
Influence mortelle, la face cachée de TikTok (Deadly Influence: The Hidden Side of TikTok)
Direction: Louise Martins Gonçalves, Elisa Helain. Producing Organisations: France TV, Everprod (Elephant Group)
"Five signs you're bipolar", "How to hide your self-harm scars", "What if suicide is the only solution?": these shocking videos are going viral on TikTok and racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Mental health, long considered a taboo subject, has become "a trend". Experts are sounding the alarm: a silent epidemic is growing among young people – depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are rising at an unprecedented rate. Online, the contagion is already spreading, and some influencers are fuelling it. This documentary, in the form of a cyber-investigation, aims to unravel the trivialisation and sometimes even the commodification of this suffering. Following the broadcast of this documentary, France's Minister of National Education reported TikTok to the judicial authorities for "incitement to suicide".
Presented by: Elisa Hélain, Director
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Winner of the first prize in the France Télévisions Grant, which recognizes journalism students, Elisa Helain began her career on the news desk at France 2 in the "Investigations and Reports" department, before becoming an independent director in 2013. In 2017, she joined the editorial team of Stupéfiant! on France 2, where she directed investigative reports at the crossroads of history, art and culture. She has also directed several investigative documentaries, notably for the flagship investigative program Complément d'Enquête (France 2), including a 52-minute documentary exploring young people's growing addiction to cosmetic surgery. She created the short-form investigative series Anatomy of a Painting, released on Arte.tv, for which she directed investigations into forgotten figures hidden within classical paintings. Combining open-source intelligence techniques with original investigative methods applied to art history, the series - which has accumulated more than four million views across Europe - offers a unique perspective on overlooked characters and the historical scandals they embody. She also explores other narrative forms and is currently directing a three-part investigative audio documentary for Arte Radio, focusing on a specific form of sexual violence, scheduled for release in late 2026. In 2026, she co-directed Deadly Influence: The Hidden Side of TikTok with Louise Martins Gonçalves for France Télévisions Slash. |
The Jury: This year's winning project takes us straight into the darker side of social media – a world where algorithms, influencers and harmful advice from dubious experts can have very real, and sometimes devastating, consequences for young people. It is investigative. It is inventive. And it uses the language of the digital world itself to reveal the mechanics – and the plain cynicism – behind the platforms we use every day. The result is eye-opening, unsettling and impossible to ignore. And importantly, its impact does not stop when the screen goes dark. It is already reaching young people, parents, schools and – yeah! – decision-makers in the real world.
Grandir en ligne : qu'est-ce qui se cache derrière mes réseaux sociaux? (Growing Up Online: What's Behind My Social Networks?)
Direction: Carmen Rachiteanu. Sound Track: APM Music. Photography: Charles Dagenais. Content Managers: Christine Bouchard, Isabelle Turgeon. Designer: 4012. Social Media Editor: Félicia Latour. Producing Organisation: MAJ/Radio-Canada
"Growing Up Online" is a documentary that gives young people a voice in their relationship with social networks. It's also a tool, designed with and for them, to help them better understand how social platforms work and learn how to use them in a balanced and caring way. Connected several hours a day, this generation is growing up online on platforms controlled by giants where profit takes precedence over the well-being of young users. Through their reflections and their experiences, we question our uses, what holds us captive and what influences us, positively or not. We're also interested in the positive: the potential to bring people together, to create, to stay in touch. Added to this are meetings with experts and segments led by influencers who inform young people and suggest ways of achieving greater digital well-being.
Presented by: Isabelle Turgeon, Producer
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Originally from Quebec City, Isabelle has more than 20 years of experience in television and digital media. She holds a bachelor's degree in hosting and cultural research from UQAM and has held various roles in the media, including researcher, host, columnist, concept developer, writer and producer. Throughout her career, Isabelle has developed expertise in youth programming and documentaries. In 2019, Isabelle joined MAJ (Mon actualité jeunesse), Radio-Canada's youth news platform. She has served as producer since 2024. |
Men of the Manosphere
Presenter: James Blake. Direction, Photography: Pete Grant. Developer: Kelda Crawford-McCann. Producers: Kelda Crawford-McCann, Pete Grant. Executive Producing Organisation: Strident Media
James Blake enters the virtual world of manhood, aka the Manosphere. From self-improvement coaches to "red pill" preachers, these influencers and communities promise young men quick answers to every challenge life throws at them. James gets a unique insight as he immerses himself in the world of three young men who share their innermost thoughts on why they have turned to male influencers for guidance and instruction in how to live their lives. All are seeking to better themselves and to achieve success in every aspect of life, online and offline.
Presented by: Kelda Crawford-McCann,
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Kelda Crawford-McCann is a multi-award-winning journalist, producer and director, and Executive Producer of 'Men of the Manosphere', Strident's 2026 Prix Italia - Rai finalist in the Digital Factual category. She began her career at the BBC and ITV in London before returning to Northern Ireland to found Strident, a female-led production company with offices in Belfast and Dublin that has built a reputation for bold, socially engaged documentary and factual work commissioned by broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Channel Four and RTÉ. Kelda developed and executive produced 'Men of the Manosphere' alongside director Pete Grant and editor Lisa Creaney, for BBC NI, BBC Three and BBC One, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. |
