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Un poeta (Colombia, Germany, Sweden), directed by Simón Mesa Soto, received the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard, the section of the Cannes Film Festival that highlights new cinematic trends. The film, Mesa Soto's second feature, also had its world premiere at the festival. "It received a very emotional reception, with the full team present, including the lead actor. We hope this marks the beginning of a long journey for the film, and that many people get to watch it. It's a comedy; so, in a way, our goal with Un poeta was to bring Colombian cinema closer to audiences through stories that can move us and make us laugh. That was the intent. We'll have it in Colombia very soon," said the director on May 19, following the film's screening at Cannes.
 
When announcing the winning film, jury member Louise Courvoisier (French director and screenwriter) stated: "For its authenticity and impeccably crafted performances, for giving equal attention to every role, for its delicate treatment of morally ambiguous characters with humor and tenderness—without resorting to miserabilism—and for its originality and unexpected turns, the Jury Prize goes to Un poeta by Simón Mesa."
 
Óscar Restrepo's obsession with poetry never brought him any glory. Now aged and erratic, he has become a cliché: a poet in the shadows. Meeting Yurlady, a humble teenage girl, and helping her develop her talent brings some light into his life, but pulling her into the world of poets might not be the right path. This is the story at the heart of this film, which was featured in the Film Projects section of the Bogotá Audiovisual Market – BAM (2023) and received support from the Colombian Film Development Fund (FDC).
 
In the same section, the Grand Prize was awarded to The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium), the debut feature by Diego Céspedes, with cinematography by Colombian Angello Faccini. Meanwhile, Before the Winter won Best Short Film at the American Pavilion's Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, a platform that allows creators to present their work to attendees of the Cannes Film Festival and its market. This U.S.–China–Colombia co-production is directed by Juan Zuluaga. In the pages of her diary, a high school student documents her harsh reality: her mother's desperate attempt to save their dying cat. But dark secrets are at risk of being exposed when the diary ends up in the hands of her concerned, but intrusive, teacher.