A preview of the 31st European Film Awards
The awards stand in the shadows of the Oscars — wrongly, as the quality of the films is great. This year, the awards are being presented on December 15 in Seville. Here, we present some of the top contenders.
The European 'Oscars' 2018
As with the Oscars, films are nominated in various categories at the European Film Awards — and the winners are determined on the evening of the award ceremony. The supreme nod is, of course, the best film prize, although here it is called "European Film 2018." Among the five nominees in the category is the poetic work "Happy as Lazzaro" directed by Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher.
European multi-culturalism
In contrast to the Oscars, which center on English language films, the European Film Awards represent the linguistic diversity of the continent's cinema. The Swedish-Danish production "Border" has also been nominated for best film. In the fantasy film directed by Iranian-Swedish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, a woman working in a border agency discovers more about her own identity through a strange man.
European comedy
Europe also gets to laugh sometimes. Just like the Golden Globes, the European Film Awards feature a separate best comedy category. Three films are nominated this year, including the wonderful French comedy "C'est la vie!" by director duo Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. In the lead role of a wedding planner who faces a series of disasters, actor Jean-Pierre Bacri is, as always, magnificent.
Best actress
Will she repeat her triumph at the German film awards on a European level? Marie Bäumer, who has received numerous awards for her performance as Romy Schneider in the film "3 Days in Quiberon," is one of six nominated actresses in the category "European Actress 2018." Bäumer's competitors include Joanna Kulig from Poland and Alba Rohrwacher from Italy.
Best actor
In the men's competition, the race is likely to be just as close. The Iceland-born Swedish actor Sverrir Pall Gudnason is one of six nominees. He's seen here (right) in his role as Björn Borg in the film "Borg/McEnroe." Gudnason's competitors come from Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Poland and Belgium.
European director
The category "European Director 2018" also speaks for the great diversity of European culture. Five filmmakers have been nominated, including Samuel Maoz from Israel. Maoz enters the race for the prize with his film "Foxtrot." He competes against Ali Abbasi, among others, who was born in Iran. The origins of these two directors also stand for the cultural breadth of European filmmaking.
Best documentary
"Of Fathers and Sons" has been nominated for best documentary. Its director is Talal Derki, who was born in Damascus. The film has already won several awards for the film, including the German Documentary Film Prize and the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival in the US. Three of the five nominated documentaries are German co-productions.
European discovery — Prix Fipresci
"Touch Me Not" has already grabbed one of the most important film prizes of the international festival scene. In February, Romanian director Adina Pintilie was awarded the Berlinale's Golden Bear for her work, which oscillates between experiment, documentary and feature film. Whether she really still belongs in the "European Discovery" category of the European Film Awards is debatable.
These winners are clear!
On December 15, the winners of the nominated films will be named and presented at the gala in Seville. In categories such as camera, editing or costumes, the winners have already been selected. Good news for Germany: André Bendocchi-Alves and Martin Steyer garnered the award for best sound design for their work on the film "The Captain" by German Robert Schwentke.
Best film music
The jury also decided that this year's most convincing film music came from two German composers: Christoph M. Kaiser and Julian Maas. Their score for the film "3 Days in Quiberon," about actress Romy Schneider, reflects a life that vacillated between enthusiasm, melancholy and grief.
Honorary award I: Ralph Fiennes
Three greats of European film can also look forward to honorary prizes, which will be presented at the gala in Seville. "European Achievement in World Cinema" is the title of the award to be given to Briton Ralph Fiennes. Cinema fans know him from films such as "The English Patient," "The Constant Gardener" and "Schindler's List." Fiennes also appeared in Harry Potter and James Bond films.
Honorary award II: Carmen Maura
Spanish actress Carmen Maura will have a home game in Seville. The actor born in Madrid in 1945 will receive an award for her life's work. Maura became known to a larger audience in the 1980s through appearances in the films of Pedro Almodovar. Here, she starred alongside a young Antonio Bandera in "Matador," from 1986.
Honorary award III: Constantin Costa-Gavras
Finally, Greek-French director Constantin Costa-Gavras will receive the prize called "Honorary Award of the EFA President and Board." It "is a tribute to a personality who, with a strong political voice, is not only deeply respected by colleagues, but also celebrated by audiences around the world," said the EFA Academy. Costa-Gavras' most famous film is "Z" from 1969.