The LUX – European Audience Film Award (short title: LUX Audience Award) is organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in collaboration with Creative Europe MEDIA and Europa Cinemas. This award highlights the European Parliament’s commitment to culture and education, by providing support to European cinema and promoting cultural diversity. More information on lux-award.europarl.europa.eu

Selection process

The LUX Selection Panel is composed of European film professionals from different EU Member States, and includes members with various roles in the cinema industry. The selection panel members as well as the chair of the Selection Panel are approved by the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. Their role is to select the five nominated films for the LUX Audience Award from an extensive list of eligible films. The LUX Selection Panel meets each year in Brussels in June for a two-day meeting.

Eligibility criteria

In order to be considered for the LUX Audience Award, films need to meet the following criteria:

General:

  • Having been selected or having received an award, or notable attention, at a major festival.
  • Having been sold or theatrically released in at least five EU Member States (or to have had its rights sold in at least one EU Member State in the case of films from the Cannes Film Festival).
  • Having had the first official public screening at a festival or in a cinema or online release between 1 July of the preceding year and the end of May of the current year.

Topics:

  • Illustrate the diversity of topics at the heart of European debate, as well as the European values, and encourage exchange between Members of the European Parliament and citizens on issues influencing European daily life and Europe’s future.
  • Successfully portray equality, diversity, democracy and inclusion through the film’s topics and characters
  • Represent where relevant the topics covered in the legislative work of the European Union
  • Be accessible to a wide and diverse European audience, including young people
  • Diversity of tone and genre is encouraged


Production’s geographic origin:
Films need to be produced or co-produced in countries eligible for the Creative Europe MEDIA programme (EU Member States as well as Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Ukraine).

Genre:
Fiction, animation and documentary.

Length:
Films must have a minimum length of 60 minutes, and should ideally not exceed 120 minutes.

Timeline

  • June 2025: LUX Selection Panel meeting to discuss and select the five films to be nominated
  • September 2025: Announcement of the five nominated films in the European Parliament in Strasbourg
  • September 2025 – April 2026: Europe-wide screenings of the nominated films during the Watch, Rate and Win period
  • April 2026: LUX Audience Award ceremony at the European Parliament

 

Rating process

Audiences can rate all five nominated films from September 2025 until April 2026 on the official LUX Rating Platform. Members of the European Parliament will be able to vote via a dedicated rating page of the institution. Ratings can be changed an unlimited number of times until the end of the rating period. Only the final rating will be taken into consideration.

Both the public and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) can rate for the films online. The film with the highest total score, rated by the public and MEPs (equal rating weight of 50% each), will win the LUX Audience Award. The winning film will be announced at the LUX Audience Award ceremony in April 2026 at the European Parliament.

Contact

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