French distributor KMBO and its Founder & CEO Vladimir Kokh have been honored with the 2026 Best International Innovation Distribution Award, presented by the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS) in Hamburg.
Founded in 2007, KMBO has built a distinctive position in the French distribution landscape, combining a strong commitment to emerging filmmakers with an acclaimed slate of international cinema and animation for young audiences through its Little KMBO label. The company was named Distributor of the Year at Cartoon Movie in 2023 and has continued to expand its activities across distribution and production.
The Marché du Film supported this year’s award as an official partner. As part of the collaboration, KMBO will receive a dedicated visibility package at the next edition of the Marché du Film (11-19 May 2027), providing an opportunity to showcase its upcoming slate to the international film community. The Marché du Film also hosted the IFDS dinner celebrating Vladimir Kokh and KMBO.
The award also includes €10,000 in services from Comscore, Gruvi and usheru, further supporting KMBO’s activities across distribution, marketing and audience engagement.
This new partnership with IFDS also extends to Cannes Makers, the Marché du Film’s talent development program, with selected alumni invited to attend IFDS and its partner event European Work in Progress, creating new opportunities to connect with professionals across international sales, distribution and financing.
Past receipients of the Best International Innovation Distribution Award include Elissa Federoff of NEON, Enrique Costa of Elastica Films, Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red, and Yohann Comte of Charades.
The IFDS is funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and supported by FilmFest Hamburg, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA).