The Countdown Has Started

On Saturday, 11 December, this year’s European Film Awards will veer off the trodden path and create something new: Hosted by German actress, moderator and writer Annabelle Mandeng, the show at the spectacular Arena in Berlin will combine studio guests with nominees who are virtually attending and connect both with film fans across Europe and beyond.

The 34th European Film Awards will be streamed or broadcast in over 30 territories:

30 partner institutions or companies will stream it in 29 countries, while 10 TV stations will broadcast the ceremony in 10 different countries.

Most of the award recipients have been voted for by the more than 4,200 members of the European Film Academy, all of them established film professionals, and will only be revealed during the ceremony. But some of the lucky winners have already been announced throughout the past months. This year’s award for European Lifetime Achievement is given to the legendary Hungarian filmmaker Márta Mészáros. The Award for European Achievement in World Cinema 2021 goes to Danish helmer Susanne Bier who will be one of the evening’s on-site guests. And she will be joined by the prolific British director Steve McQueen who received the Award for European Innovative Storytelling 2021 for SMALL AXE, his ground-breaking mini-series about the UK’s West-Indian community.

A range of Berlin-based and international presenters will join them and further award recipients for this year’s ceremony. Representing the European Film Academy live in the studio are Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, President of the Academy, Irish producer Mike Downey OBE, Chairman of the Board, and the Academy’s new Director, Matthijs Wouter Knol.

New this year is the involvement of European audiences in the Award Ceremony: in different parts of Europe, from the very south to the very north, from young to more seasoned, film-lovers have watched the nominated films and tell us what they feel and think.

Despite all sudden changes, these partners continue to support the European Film Academy and the European Film Awards: Creative Europe MEDIA Sub-Programme of the EU, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, FFA German Federal Film Board, Berlin Capital Cultural Fund, German State Lottery Berlin, and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Sponsors: Aveda, Dorint Kurfürstendamm Berlin, MAC and ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland. Media partners: Euronews, Cineuropa and Radio Eins.

Patrons: Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies from the Ministry of Culture of Catalonia * Centre du Cinéma of the Federation Wallonia Brussels * Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) * Cinecittà * Danish Film Institute * Eurimages * Film Centre of Montenegro * Film Fund Luxembourg * Film i Väst * Finnish Film Foundation * Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) * Icelandic Film Centre * Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual (ICA) * International Sámi Film Institute * Kosovo Cinematography Center * Lithuanian Film Centre * Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government of Malta * Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of the Republic of Cyprus * Netherlands Film Fund * North Macedonia Film Agency * Norwegian Film Institute * Polish Film Institute * Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann * SF Studios * Swedish Film Institute * Swiss Films, supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture

Since its successful pan-European launch in November 2022 Europe’s own film and award season, the Month of European Film has been growing continuously: Starting with 35 partners from 35 countries in 2022, the Month of European Film collaborated in 2024 with 108 partners from 42 countries. The number of screenings of European films within the initiative rocketed from 1,553 in 2022 to 9,310 in 2023 to 16,140 screenings in the 2024 edition. Admissions increased from 61,199 in 2022 to 164,206 in 2023 to almost half a million admissions (467,697) in the last year. The participating partners reported that their activities during the Month of European Film increased audience interest in European films and it also makes them want to programme more European films in the future. This is the result of an evaluation with the participating partners of this unique initiative.

“The European Film Academy senses growing interest in Europe for an ‘award season’ celebrating the best European cinema has to offer,” says Mattthijs Wouter Knol, Academy CEO and Director. “With the Month of European Film we build a network and a window for the simultaneous celebration of European cinema and to bring the diversity of European film closer to home for many people: first of all to their local cinema. Only three years into the initiative we are proud and happy that the Month of European Film is becoming more and more visible across Europe and is attracting a significantly growing number of visitors from Norway to Malta, from Portugal to Georgia. In the upcoming years until the European Film Academy’s 40th anniversary in 2028, we will further build a European ‘award season’ with our partners. It is time to deepen the awareness of European film culture. It is time to bring us as Europeans closer together through the culture and values we share: cinema has that power.”

Feedback from the audience regarding the Month of European Film was also very positive: The partners reported that in an audience survey cinema visitors from across Europe saw the Month of European Film as an important celebration of European culture. They said the Month of European Film has raised their interest in European films significantly and that they would like to see more European films. It also made them feel more united with fellow Europeans.

This year, the Month of European Film will start with the nominations announcement on Tuesday 18 November 2025, with cinemas all over Europe offering a tailor-made programme for their local audience. The Month of European Film will have its grand finale on Saturday 17 January 2026 with the celebration of the European Film Awards in Berlin.

The Month of European Film is an initiative of the European Film Academy supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union, in co-operation with Europa Cinemas, CICAE, MUBI, DAFilms, Festival Scope, as well as numerous other European and local partners.

Contact

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name