Berlin rolls out the red carpet for the European Film Awards
Glitz and glamour in Berlin - who has the best chance of winning the European Film Awards? Movie buffs will have an eye on the German capital when the European Film Academy awards the prizes on Saturday December 12.
'Victoria': Best Film?
Triple nomination: The thriller "Victoria" could be the film that sweeps the board in three categories. German director Sebastian Schipper is nominated for Best Director, leading actress Laia Costa for Best Actress, while the movie as such is a contender for Best Film.
Award after award
At this year's Berlin International Film Festival, filmmaker Sebastian Schipper already had the opportunity to celebrate the success of his movie "Victoria," which won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography. The 148-minute-long drama was shot in a single take.
Melancholic cheer
"The Rams" by Grimur Hakonarson is about sheep, tradition and family ties in a remote Icelandic farming valley. This compassionate, melancholic drama deals with life itself, not just in Iceland - and is also in the running for Best Film.
'Youth'
In "Youth," Italian director Paolo Sorrentino lets two elderly best buddies, played by Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, reminisce about their lives, about art, their children and the little time they have left on earth. The film premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and is nominated in the Best Film category.
Female rebellion
French-Turkish first-time director Deniz Gamze Ergüven tells an unusual coming of age story in "Mustang." It's about five young orphaned sisters who dream about living self-determined lives. But their uncle and grandmother are bound to tradition, and are set on arranged marriages. It is among the Best Film nominees.
Finding a mate
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' "The Lobster" is another nominee for Best Film. In the sci-fi fantasy, total strangers are taken to a hotel, where they have to find a romantic partner - or be transformed into an animal. The film is also nominated for Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Farrel) and Best Screenwriter (Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou).
'The Brand New Testament'
Benoit Poelvoorde (a grumpy God) grapples with problems that are far from divine in Belgian director Jaco van Dormael's "The Brand New Testament." A whimsical plot and skewed characters make for a convincing story. It is nominated in the Best Comedy category.
Powerful personality
More than just a dance film: In "Dancing with Maria," Italian director Ivan Gergolet shows how 90-year old Argentine dancer Maria Fux empowers her students with the chance to grow beyond themselves through dance. This film was selected as one of the best documentaries of the year.
Breakthrough with 'Elser'
German actor Christian Friedel's performance was memorable in "The White Ribbon" in 2009. His role as resistance fighter Georg Elser in director Oliver Hirschbiegel's drama "Elser," about a failed Hitler assassination attempt, is likely to be his breakthrough. Friedel has been nominated for Best Actor.
Young hopeful
"Summers downstairs" is a finalist for FIPRESCI, the "European Discovery" award, which is handed annually to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film. The German director Tom Sommerlatte tells the story of two brothers who face their past at their family's summer home.
Waltz and Rampling
British-born Charlotte Rampling is one of Europe's great stars, and she will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year's honorary award European Achievement in World Cinema goes to double Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, last seen in the new James Bond film, "Spectre."