INTERFILM, the Protestant Churches Film Organisation, announces with regret the demise of the European John Templeton Film Prize due to the withdrawal of sponsorship from the US-based John Templeton Foundation.
 
Changes in the aims and purposes of the Foundation in regard to prizes is behind the decision to cease the funding even though the prize has been steadily growing in impact and has greatly helped the image of the recipients in their chosen field. Sadly, the impact on the public and media has not met the expectations of the Foundation. The original vision of Sir John Templeton encouraged the Foundation to create prizes but  under its new leadership the Foundation now say that "there is no consensus within philanthropy on whether prizes drive innovation or truly inspire people".
 
The Prize, which was begun in 1997, has been awarded each year to an outstanding European film that had already won an award from an Ecumenical Film Jury at a European Film Festival. These winners then went before a panel of independent judges from INTERFILM. High artistic merit, a human viewpoint in keeping with the message of the Scriptures or stimulating debate, and the capacity to make audiences sensitive to spiritual and social values and questions were the guidelines for the jury’s decision. The award has favoured films from young directors, among others Barbara Albert (Northern Skirts, 2000), Andrej Zvyagintsev (The Return, 2003) or Jasmila Zbanic (Grbavica, 2006), although established names such as Aki Kaurismäki, Ken Loach and the Dardennes brothers have also been prize winners.
 
Without sponsorship INTERFILM is unable to finance the continuation of the award.