Gessica Généus Wins 'Gold Hugo' for New Director at Chicago Film Festival for 'Marie Madeleine'
The Haitian filmmaker was honored in the New Directors category at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival for her latest feature.
Haitian director Gessica Généus has won the 'Gold Hugo' in the New Directors category at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival for her latest film, 'Marie Madeleine,' Le Nouvelliste reported. The award was announced on Friday, October 23, 2026, by Cinema/Chicago, the nonprofit association that organizes the event, which is described as the oldest international film festival in the Americas. This year's festival runs from October 14 to 25. According to Télérama, 'Marie Madeleine' — released in theaters on October 21 — follows the encounter between a prostitute and a young churchgoer in the coastal city of Jacmel. Généus, who plays the lead role herself, told Télérama the film explores the deep fractures dividing her country, which she described as 'torn between Western Christianity and its African heritage.' The director said she never considered filming anywhere but Haiti, despite the deteriorating situation in the country, citing her commitment and that of her producer, Jean-Marie Gigon. The film follows her 2021 feature 'Freda.' Généus was previously featured at the Cannes festival in May 2026.