The objective of the award is to "honour works of artistic quality which witnesses to the power of film to reveal the mysterious depths of human beings through what concerns them, their hurts and failings as well as their hopes.

"[1] The ecumenical jury can be composed out of 8, 6, 5, 4 or 3 members, who are nominated by SIGNIS for the Catholics and Interfilm for the Protestants.

[1] 1973 (Locarno), 1974 (Cannes), 1978 (Nyon, later renamed to "Visions du Réel"), 1979 (Montréal), 1992 (Berlin), 1994 (Karlovy Vary), 1994 (Leipzig), 1995 (Mannheim-Heidelberg), 1998 (Fribourg), 1999 (Cottbus), 2000 (Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage), 2001 (Bratislava), 2001 (Zlín Children & Youth), 2007 (Yerevan), 2008 (Kyiv "Molodist"), 2010 (Warsaw), 2011 (Miskolc), 2015 (Saarbrücken), 2016 (Chemnitz Schlingel), 2019 (Faludi).

Most films having won the award are from European countries, with Italy, Germany and Poland dominating.

[citation needed] In 1998 a special award was given to Ingmar Bergman at Cannes film festival for his whole body of work.