The European Film Awards has broadened the scope of its prestigious Best European Film category for this year’s ceremony. Documentaries and animated features will now be eligible to compete alongside traditional narrative films for the top honor.
This change is reflected in the nominations announced ahead of the December 7 ceremony in Lucerne, Switzerland. A record 15 films are nominated in the expanded Best European Film category, representing a variety of storytelling formats. This includes narrative films like “Emilia Pérez” and “The Substance,” documentaries such as Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” and Lina Soualem’s “Bye Bye Tiberias,” as well as the animated film “Flow” by Gints Zilbalodis.
The directing category also highlights both established names and newcomers. Past winner Pedro Almodóvar received a nomination for “The Room Next Door,” alongside Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez,” Andrea Arnold for “Bird,” Mohammad Rasoulof for “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” and Maura Delpero for “Vermiglio.”
In the acting categories, established stars like Tilda Swinton for “The Room Next Door” and Daniel Craig for “Queer” received recognition alongside performances from up-and-coming talents. The European Actor category features nominations for Franz Rogowski in “Bird,” Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave,” Lars Eidinger in “Dying,” and Abou Sangare in “Souleymane’s Story.”
The European Discovery category honors six emerging filmmakers from across the continent. Notable nominees include Luna Carmoon from the UK for “Hoard” and Saulė Bliuvaitė from Lithuania for “Toxic.”
While now eligible for Best European Film, the documentary category maintains its own competition. Five documentaries will compete, such as the Palestine and Norway co-production “No Other Land” and the Franco-Belgian-Dutch film “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” directed by Johan Grimonprez.
The ceremony will celebrate Europe’s top achievements in film from this past year across different formats and cultures. It will also mark an important shift for the awards as they recognize changing storytelling trends in European cinema.
