The European Film Awards 2016: the most important nominations

Which film will be recognized as Europe's best? That question will be answered on December 10, when the 29th European Film Awards will be held on in the Polish city of Wroclaw. Five films, among them Ken Loach's social drama "I, Daniel Blake," have been nominated in the most prestigious category "Best Film."

Despite being a critics' favorite in the contest for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Maren Ade's comedy "Toni Erdmann" lost out where Ken Loach triumphed. The film remains a top contender at the European Film Awards. The comedy-drama stars Peter Simonischek and Sandra Hüller.

Number three among the five films nominated in the category "Best Film" is Pedro Almodóvar's "Julieta." Most observers seem to expect a close run between Ken Loach and Maren Ade. But Almodóvar could well bring about a surprise. His melodrama "Julieta" is considered his strongest film in a long time.

Paul Verhoeven's thriller "Elle," starring Isabelle Huppert, is seen as yet another very promising film. The French actress plays a tough business woman in the Dutch director's rape drama. Following a sexual assault, she tries to stalk her assailant back herself.

Also competing in the "Best Film" category is the Irish-Canadian drama "Room." Much to the surprise of many, its main star Brie Larson won an Oscar as "Best Actress." The movie tells the story of a mother and her young daughter who were locked up in a small room for years.

Like the Golden Globes, the European Film Awards make a distinction between "Best Film" and "Best Comedy." Three works by European filmmakers have been nominated in the latter category. Surprisingly, the German Hitler pastiche "He's Back" is among them. The mockumentary by David Wnendt faces off against a film from Sweden and one from France.

Should "Toni Erdmann" not be awarded the main prize, Sandra Hüller still has a second chance at a European Film Award. The German actress has also been nominated as "Best Actress," competing with Isabelle Huppert and Swedish star Trine Dyrholm, who won the Silver Bear for her performance in "The Commune."

Germany also stands a good chance when it comes to the category "Best Actor," as Burghart Klaussner has been nominated for his performance in the Nazi hunter thriller "Fritz Bauer." His competitors are Hugh Grant and Spanish actor Javier Cámara.

Documentary films are given their own category at the 29th European Film Awards. A favorite here is the Italian documentary "Fire at Sea" featuring the plight of refugees in the Mediterranean. At the Berlinale Film Festival in February, "Fire at Sea" won the Golden Bear.

While winners in the main categories will not be announced before the awards ceremony on the evening of December 10, the winners in some other categories are already known. The German-Danish war drama "Under the Sand" has already received two European Film Awards, namely in the categories "Best Make-up" and "Best Costume."

This gentleman has a good reason to smile. This year, Irish actor Pierce Brosnan will be honored with a lifetime achievement award. After all, Brosnan, world famous for his performances as James Bond, has also delivered brilliant performances in all kinds of roles and genres. He is also convincing as a comedian - like here in Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!"

This year, the ceremony will take place in the Polish city of Wroclaw - presently the European Capital of Culture. Since 1988, the European Film Awards have been held at rotating locations. Even in its 29th year, the European Film Awards cannot seriously compete with the Oscars - but that's certainly not due to the quality of the films.