The European Film Awards have announced their nominations, with Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” leading the pack with an impressive 11 nominations. Close behind is “La Bola Negra,” directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, which garnered 10 nominations. Both films were recognized with the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Highlights from the Nominations
The announcement took place at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece and was based on the votes of the European Film Academy’s 5,700 members. Winners of the awards will be revealed on January 16 in Athens.
Following “Fatherland” and “La Bola Negra,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” which won the Palme d’Or, secured five nominations, while Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose” received four.
Best Director Contest
Pawlikowski, along with Calvo and Ambrossi, and Mungiu are in the running for the best director award, competing against Sandra Wollner for “Everytime” and Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose film “Minotaur” won Cannes’ Grand Prix.
Acting Categories
In the best actress category, Sandra Hüller is notably nominated for her roles in both “Fatherland” and “Rose.” She faces stiff competition from renowned actresses including Penélope Cruz for “Bunker,” Léa Seydoux for “Gentle Monster,” Renate Reinsve for “Fjord,” and Mathilde Arcel, who won best actress in Venice for “Woman Unknown.”
The nominations for best actor feature Javier Bardem for “The Beloved,” Andrew Scott for “Elsinore,” Sebastian Stan for “Fjord,” Swann Arlaud for “A Man of His Time,” and Hanns Zischler for “Fatherland.”
Additional Nominations
May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown,” which won the Golden Lion at Venice, earned three nominations. Meanwhile, films including “Bunker,” “Coward,” “Elsinore,” “Everytime,” and “Minotaur” each received two nominations.
Documentary and Animation
In the best documentary category, nominees include “NAZA,” winner of the Special Jury Prize at Venice, “Letters From the Silenced Country,” “Rehearsals for a Revolution” (which won best documentary at Cannes), “To Hold a Mountain,” and “Whispers in the Woods.”
For animated films, the nominated titles are “Viva Carmen,” “Lucy Lost,” “Jim Queen,” “Iron Boy,” and “In Waves.”
