36th European Film Awards: All the Nominees

The European Film Academy is gearing up for the 36th European Film Awards (EFAs) set to take place on December 9th in Berlin. This year, the nominations promise a spectacular celebration of European cinema, with a strong lineup of contenders in various categories. From the World Premiere sensations at Cannes to thought-provoking narratives, the EFAs continue to honour the best in European filmmaking.

Best European Film Nominees: Discover the essence of excellence.

The competition for “Best European Film” is fierce, with a diverse array of nominees. Three of the films premiered at Cannes, each earning critical acclaim: “Anatomy Of A Fall”, “The Zone of Interest” and “Fallen Leaves”. Meanwhile, “Green Border” and “Me Captain” premiered in Venice, each capturing hearts and accolades.

Jonathan Glazer‘s gripping Holocaust drama, “The Zone of Interest”, leads the pack with five nominations, including “Best Film” and “Best Director”. The film, which won the Cannes Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Prize, has been selected as the UK’s official entry for the 2024 Oscars in the Best International Feature category. Based loosely on Martin Amis’ novel, the film delves into the life of Auschwitz camp commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, offering a profound and audacious portrayal of the “banality of evil.”

The film also secured nominations for “Best Actress” and “Best Actor” for Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel, respectively.

Agnieszka Holland‘s “Green Border” is another formidable nominee, offering an emotionally devastating look at a continuing EU crisis. The title refers to the no-man’s land between Belarus and Poland, where refugees from the Middle East and Africa desperately seek to reach the European Union. However, they find themselves ensnared in a heart-wrenching political game orchestrated by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. The film offers a poignant indictment of the situation and has not been without controversy.

Talent in the Running

The “Best Actress” category presents a fierce competition, featuring talents like Sandra Hüller and Alma Pöysti, who shone in “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Fallen Leaves”. The “Best Actor” contenders include Mads Mikkelsen and Josh O’Connor, delivering stellar performances in their respective films.

The EFAs also highlight emerging talent with their “Best European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI” category, acknowledging promising new voices in European cinema.

The Full List of Nominees

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2023 European Film Awards:

Best European Film:

• ANATOMY OF A FALL (ANATOMIE D’UNE CHUTE) directed by Justine Triet, produced by Marie-Ange Luciani & David Thion (France) 
• FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET) directed by Aki Kaurismäki, produced by Aki Kaurismäki, Mark Lwoff Misha Jaari & Reinhard Brundig (Finland, Germany) 
• GREEN BORDER (ZIELONA GRANICA) directed by Agnieszka Holland, produced by Marcin Wierzchosławski, Fred Bernstein & Agnieszka Holland (Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium) 
• ME CAPTAIN (IO CAPITANO) directed by Matteo Garrone, produced by Matteo Garrone, Paolo Del Brocco, Ardavan Safaee & Joseph Rouschop (Italy, Belgium) 
• THE ZONE OF INTEREST directed by Jonathan Glazer, produced by James Wilson & Ewa Puszczyńska (United Kingdom, Poland, USA) 

Best European Documentary:

• APOLONIA, APOLONIA directed by Lea Glob (Denmark, Poland) 
• FOUR DAUGHTERS (LES FILLES D’OLFA) directed by Kaouther Ben Hania (France, Tunisia, Germany, Saudi Arabia) 
• MOTHERLAND directed by Hanna Badziaka & Alexander Mihalkovich (Sweden, Ukraine, Norway) 
• ON THE ADAMANT (SUR L’ADAMANT) directed by Nicolas Philibert (France, Japan) 
• SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (SAVVUSANNA SÕSARAD) directed by Anna Hints (Estonia, France, Iceland) 

Best European Director:

• Justine Triet for ANATOMY OF A FALL  
• Aki Kaurismäki for FALLEN LEAVES  
• Agnieszka Holland for GREEN BORDER  
• Matteo Garrone for ME CAPTAIN  
• Jonathan Glazer for THE ZONE OF INTEREST  

Best European Actress:

• Sandra Hüller in ANATOMY OF A FALL 
• Eka Chavleishvili in BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY  
• Alma Pöysti in FALLEN LEAVES  
• Mia McKenna-Bruce in HOW TO HAVE SEX  
• Leonie Benesch in THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE  
• Sandra Hüller in THE ZONE OF INTEREST 

Best European Actor:

• Thomas Schubert in AFIRE 
• Jussi Vatanen in FALLEN LEAVES 
• Josh O’Connor in LA CHIMERA  
• Mads Mikkelsen in THE PROMISED LAND  
• Christian Friedel in THE ZONE OF INTEREST  

Best European Screenwriter:

• Justine Triet & Arthur Harari for ANATOMY OF A FALL  
• Aki Kaurismäki for FALLEN LEAVES  
• Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko & Agnieszka Holland for GREEN BORDER  
• İlker Çatak & Johannes Duncker for THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE  
• Jonathan Glazer for THE ZONE OF INTEREST  

Best European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI:

• 20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS) directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain) 
• HOW TO HAVE SEX directed by Molly Manning Walker (United Kingdom, Greece) 
• LA PALISIADA (ЛЯ ПАЛІСІАДА) directed by Philip Sotnychenko (Ukraine) 
• SAFE PLACE (SIGURNO MJESTO) directed by Juraj Lerotić (Croatia, Slovenia) 
• THE QUIET MIGRATION (STILLE LIV) directed by Malene Choi (Denmark) 
• VINCENT MUST DIE (VINCENT DOIT MOURIR) directed by Stéphan Castang (France, Belgium) 

Best European Animated Feature Film:

• A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL directed by Enzo d’Alò
• CHICKEN FOR LINDA! directed by Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
• ROBOT DREAMS directed by Pablo Berger
• THE AMAZING MAURICE directed by Toby Genkel
• WHITE PLASTIC SKY / MŰANYAG ÉGBOLT directed by Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó

Best European Short Film:

• 27 directed by Flóra Anna Buda
• AQUERONTE directed by Manuel Muñoz Rivas
• DAYDREAMING SO VIVIDLY ABOUT OUR SPANISH HOLIDAYS / LA HERIDA LUMINOSA directed by Christian Avilés
• FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO directed by Jorge Cadena
• HARDLY WORKING directed by Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf

The nominations are the result of votes from 4,600 members of the European Film Academy, who watched the films included in the annual Academy Selection. The winners of the 2023 European Film Awards will be announced in Berlin on December 9th, promising a night of celebration and recognition for European cinema at its finest.