Eligibility
6.1
The award is presented to the European director(s) (see 3.4) of a feature-length European documentary intended for theatrical release which meets the general eligibility criteria (see 3).
6.2
Documentary films taken into consideration must have a minimum length of 70 minutes. The Academy Board has the right to refrain from this rule in exceptional cases.
6.3
Documentary films must fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
- Having been selected at least at one major festival (see list of festivals)
- Having been theatrically released in at least three countries or sold for such release
Selection
6.4
A committee of Academy Members and documentary experts appointed by the Academy Board chooses 15 documentary films for the EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS DOCUMENTARY FILM SELECTION proposed to the Academy Members to be considered for a nomination.
6.5
These documentary films are announced to the Academy Members internally and are made available for viewing to the Academy Members in three parts (first part in May, second part in September and third part in October) with the complete selection to be announced to the public in October.
Nominations and election of winners
6.6
There are five nominations in the category EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY. Based on the EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS DOCUMENTARY FILM SELECTION, three to four of the nominations are voted for by the Academy Members. The Academy Board can add up to two nominations in this category. The board’s nominations need to be agreed on by the majority of the board members present at the nomination meeting.
6.7
Nominated documentaries also run for the category EUROPEAN FILM.