European Film Awards

European Film Awards
The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the most important is the Best Film. They are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors and actors. The awards were officially also called the "Felix Awards" until 1997, in reference to the former award's trophy statuette, which was replaced by a feminine statuette.
Since 1997, the European Film Awards have been held in early- to mid-December. Hosting duties have alternated between Berlin, Germany in odd-numbered years and other European cities in even-numbered years. The most recent European Film Awards were held on 12 December 2020 as a virtual ceremony. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian films were excluded from the 2022 European Film Awards.
Awarding procedures
Feature films participating in the European Film Awards must be European feature-length fiction films intended for normal theatrical release which must have had their first official screening (be it at a festival or at a regular cinema) after 1 July of the year before.
Based on a selection of approximately 40 films recommended for a nomination, the members of the European Film Academy vote for the nominations in the main categories, which are announced in early November at the Seville European Film Festival. Based on the nominations, the members of the European Film Academy then vote for the winners which are announced at the European Film Awards Ceremony in early December.
Controversies
The European Film Academy (EFA) Awards' Best Film winner, Melancholia became the third Lars von Trier film to win EFA's top award, following Breaking the Waves (1996) and Dancer in the Dark (2000) – this despite the fact that the filmmaker became embroiled in a nasty controversy after making jokes about Jews and Adolf Hitler at that year's Cannes Film Festival.
Eligibility
The criteria whereby a film qualifies as European are based upon the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, Appendix II, issued by the Council of Europe. This definition might be extended for Israeli and Palestinian works and nationalities. A cinematographic work qualifies as European if it achieves at least 16 points (out of 21).
The European Film Academy uses a lower minimum of 13 points.
Host cities
European Capital of Culture event
Up through the 2018 ceremony, 15 cities in 10 countries have hosted the contest. Berlin has been host 14 times, Potsdam 3 times, and Paris 2 times. Barcelona, Bochum, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Riga, Rome, Seville, Tallinn, Valletta, Warsaw, and Wroclaw, have each hosted once.
Award categories
Current categories
Best Film
Best Comedy
European Discovery
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Short Film
Best Documentary Film
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Composer
Best Editor
Best Screenwriter
Best Production Designer
Best Cinematographer
Best European Co-Production
Best Sound Designer
Best Costume Designer
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Visual Effects
Audience awards
Audience Award for Best Film
Young Audience Award
University Award (Student's Choice)
Special awards
Lifetime Achievement
Achievement in World Cinema
Defunct awards
Best Non-European Film
Best Young Film
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Performance
Best Young Actor or Actress
People's Choice Award Best Actor
People's Choice Award Best Actress
People's Choice Award Best Director
Prix d'Excellence
Critics Award
Award of Merit
Honorary Award
Special Jury Award
European Cinema Society Special Award
Special Mention
Proposed awards
Best Animated Short Subject
Best Live Action Short Subject
Best Documentary Short Subject
Best Music Video
Best Cast
Best Action or Adventure Film
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Screenwriter - Adapted
Best Screenwriter - Original
Best Costume Designer in Contemporary Film
Best Costume Designer in Historic Film
Best Costume Designer in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film
Best Production Designer in Contemporary Film
Best Production Designer in Historic Film
Best Production Designer in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film
Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Contemporary Film
Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Historic Film
Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film
Best Choreographer
Best Original Song
Best Poster
Best Stunt Ensemble
Best Actor – Series
Best Actress – Series
Best African Film
Best Latin American Film
Best North American Film
Best Asian Film
Best Middle East and North Africa Film
Best Australia and Pacific Film
Timeline
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Category included in the cumulative category named Award of Excellence or Artistic Contribution Achievement
Category included in the Production Designer category
Critics choice transferred to European Discovery
People's Choice transferred to European Parliaments Lux Prize Audience Film Award
Films with multiple wins
8 wins
The Favourite (2019)
6 wins
Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)
The Ghost Writer (2010)
The Square (2017)
Cold War (2018+2019)
5 wins
Talk to Her (2002)
Caché (2005)
Volver (2006)
Gomorrah (2008)
Ida (2014)
Toni Erdmann (2016)
4 wins
Open Doors (1990)
Toto the Hero (1991)
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Amélie (2001)
Amour (2012)
The Great Beauty (2013)
Another Round (2020)
Quo Vadis, Aida? (2021+2022)
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
3 wins
Sunshine (1999)
High Hopes (1989)
The Northerners (1992)
Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1992)
Breaking the Waves (1996)
All About My Mother (1999)
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (2005)
The Lives of Others (2006)
The White Ribbon (2009)
The King's Speech (2011)
Melancholia (2011)
Youth (2015)
Land of Mine (2016)
Dogman (2018)
Flee (2021)
See also
Lux Prize
Film Award of the Council of Europe
Prix Europa
European Union MEDIA Prize
MTV Europe Music Awards
European Border Breakers Award
References
External links
Voting website for the People's Choice Award
European film awards
Lists of films by award
Awards established in 1988