European Film Academy unveils first batch of contenders for 2024 awards
The European Film Academy has announced the initial selection of films eligible for the prestigious European Film Awards, set to take place on December 7 in Lucerne, Switzerland. This first wave of 29 films includes those that had their first official screening between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024. Additional titles will be revealed in September, encompassing films that premiered at summer and early autumn festivals like Locarno and Venice.
The selection process: A three-stage journey
The selection process for the European Film Awards is a meticulous three-stage journey. Initially, the academy’s 5,000 members will watch and vote on the selected films. Their votes will determine the nominations in key categories such as European Film, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenwriter, Documentary, and Discovery. These nominations will be announced on November 5, with the winners revealed at the awards ceremony on December 7.
Technical categories: Judged by an expert jury
In addition to the main categories, the selected films will also be considered for technical awards in Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Make-up & Hair, Original Score, Sound, and Visual Effects. These categories will be judged by an eight-member jury of experts from various arts and crafts disciplines, with no formal nominations announced.
Highlighted films: A diverse array of storytelling
Un Amor
- Director: Isabel Coixet
- Writers: Isabel Coixet, Laura Ferrero
- Producers: Marisa Fernández Armenteros, Sandra Hermida Múñiz
- Festival: San Sebastian Film Festival
Arcadia (ΑΡΚΑΝΤΙΑ)
- Director: Yorgos Zois
- Writers: Konstantina Kotzamani, Yorgos Zois
- Producers: Antigoni Rota, Maria Drandaki, Stelios Cotionis, Veselka Kiryakova
- Festival: Berlin Film Festival (Encounters Award)
Armand
- Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- Writer: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- Producer: Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
- Festival: Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard), Golden Camera winner
Bird
- Director: Andrea Arnold
- Writer: Andrea Arnold
- Producers: Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Lee Groombridge
- Festival: Cannes Film Festival (competition)
Crossing
- Director: Levan Akin
- Writer: Levan Akin
- Producers: Mathilde Dedye, Katja Adomeit, Anna Kharahadze, Nino Chichua, Ersan Çongar, Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi
- Festival: Berlin Film Festival (Panorama)
Dying (Sterben)
- Director: Matthias Glasner
- Writer: Matthias Glasner
- Producers: Jan Krüger, Ulf Israel, Matthias Glasner
Emilia Pérez
- Director: Jacques Audiard
- Writer: Jacques Audiard
- Producers: Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Valérie Schermann
Grand Tour
- Director: Miguel Gomes
- Writers: Mariana Ricardo, Telmo Churro, Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes
- Producer: Filipa Reis
Hesitation Wound (Tereddüt Çizgisi)
- Director: Selman Nacar
- Writer: Selman Nacar
- Producers: Diloy Gülün, Burak Çevik, Selman Nacar
Julie Keeps Quiet (Julie Zwijgt)
- Director: Leonardo Van Dijl
- Writers: Leonardo van Dijl, Ruth Becquart
- Producers: Gilles De Schryver, Gilles Coulier, Wouter Sap, Roxanne Sarkozi
Kinds of Kindness
- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
- Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Kasia Malipan
Kneecap
- Director: Rich Peppiatt
- Writers: Rich Peppiatt, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh
- Producers: Patrick O’Neill, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling
Life (Hayat)
- Director: Zeki Demirkubuz
- Writer: Zeki Demirkubuz
- Producers: Zeki Demirkubuz, Rossitsa Valkanova
Misericordia (Misericorde)
- Director: Alain Guiraudie
- Writer: Alain Guiraudie
- Producers: Charles Gillibert, Albert Serra, Montse Triola, Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves
Souleymane’s Story (L’Histoire de Souleymane)
- Director: Boris Lojkine
- Writers: Boris Lojkine, Delphine Agut
- Producer: Bruno Nahon
The Count of Monte-Cristo (Le Comte de Monte-Cristo)
- Directors: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière
- Writers: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière
- Producers: Dimitri Rassam, Ardavan Safaee
The Devil’s Bath (Des Teufels Bad)
- Directors: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
- Writers: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
- Producers: Ulrich Seidl, Bettina Brokemper
The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med Nålen)
- Director: Magnus von Horn
- Writers: Magnus von Horn, Line Langebek
- Producers: Malene Blenkov, Mariusz Włodarski
The Invisible Fight (Nähtamatu Võitlus)
- Director: Rainer Sarnet
- Writer: Rainer Sarnet
- Producers: Katrin Kissa, Amanda Livanou, Alise Gelze, Helen Vinogradov, Aleksi Bardy
The Other Way Around (Volveréis)
- Director: Jonás Trueba
- Writers: Jonás Trueba, Itsaso Arana, Vito Sanz
- Producers: Jonás Trueba, Javier Lafuente
The Rye Horn (O Corno)
- Director: Jaione Camborda
- Writer: Jaione Camborda
- Producers: Jaione Camborda, Andrea Vázquez, María Zamora
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Danaye Anjir-e Moabad)
- Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
- Writer: Mohammad Rasoulof
- Producers: Mohammad Rasoulof, Mani Tilgner, Jean-Christophe Simon, Rozita Hendijanian, Amin Sadraei
The Shameless
- Director: Konstantin Bojanov
- Writer: Konstantin Bojanov
- Producers: Nicolas Wadimoff, Philippe Coeytaux, Séverine Pisani, Frédéric Corvez, Maéva Savinien, Rossitsa Valkanova, Vincent Wang, Mohaan Nadaar
The Substance
- Director: Coralie Fargeat
- Writer: Coralie Fargeat
- Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner
The Village Next to Paradise
- Director: Mo Harawe
- Writer: Mo Harawe
- Producers: Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, Jean-Christophe Reymond, Nicole Gerhards, Mo Harawe
There’s Still Tomorrow (C’è Ancora Domani)
- Director: Paola Cortellesi
- Writers: Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, Paola Cortellesi
- Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa
Three Kilometres to the End of the World (Trei Kilometri Pana La Capatul Lumii)
- Director: Emanuel Pârvu
- Writers: Emanuel Pârvu, Miruna Berescu
- Producer: Miruna Berescu
When the Light Breaks (Ljóssbrot)
- Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson
- Writer: Rúnar Rúnarsson
- Producers: Heather Millard, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Raymond van der Kaaij, Igor A Nola, Mike Downey, Xenia Maingot, Sarah Chazelle
Without Air (Elfogy a Levegő)
- Director: Katalin Moldovai
- Writers: Zita Palóczi, Katalin Moldovai
- Producers: Béla Attila Kovács, András Muhi, Katalin Moldovai
A celebration of European cinema
The European Film Awards are a celebration of the rich and diverse storytelling that European cinema has to offer. From the intimate and personal to the grand and epic, these films represent the best of what the continent’s filmmakers have to offer. As the awards season progresses, cinema enthusiasts will have the opportunity to explore these films and appreciate the artistry and creativity that define European cinema.
For those eager to dive deeper into these films, trailers and additional information can be found through the following links:
- Un Amor
- Arcadia
- Armand
- Bird
- Crossing
- Dying
- Emilia Pérez
- Grand Tour
- Hesitation Wound
- Julie Keeps Quiet
- Kinds of Kindness
- Kneecap
- Life
- Misericordia
- Souleymane’s Story
- The Count of Monte-Cristo
- The Devil’s Bath
- The Girl with the Needle
- The Invisible Fight
- The Other Way Around
- The Rye Horn
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig
- The Shameless
- The Substance
- The Village Next to Paradise
- There’s Still Tomorrow
- Three Kilometres to the End of the World
- When the Light Breaks
- Without Air
This year’s selection promises a captivating array of stories and styles, reflecting the vibrant and dynamic nature of European cinema. Whether you’re a seasoned cinephile or a casual moviegoer, there’s something in this lineup to pique your interest and ignite your passion for film.