Haitian filmmaker Gessica Généus wins the Gold Hugo

The announcement, made on Friday, October 23, 2026, makes Généus, as reported, the first black woman to receive this award since the creation of the category.

Marie Madeleine, written and directed by Généus herself, who also stars in it, is set in Jacmel, Haiti. The film follows an independent sex worker whose life intersects with that of Joseph, a young evangelical Christian experiencing a crisis of faith and grappling with the expectations of his religious community.

Through the relationship between the two, the film explores faith, sexuality, personal freedom, and the tensions between evangelical Christianity and Haitian voodoo traditions.

The festival jury praised the film's narrative, its visual approach, and its analysis of the social, political, and religious realities of Haiti.

This recognition comes after the film's international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2016, where it was selected for the Cannes Première section. It was subsequently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and received awards at various European festivals.

Généus had already achieved international recognition with Freda (2021), her debut film, which premiered at Cannes and explored the challenges faced by a young Haitian woman in Port-au-Prince.

Founded in 1964, the Chicago International Film Festival is one of the longest-running competitive film festivals in North America.

The Gold Hugo represents a new international achievement for both Généus and Haitian cinema.