18/09/2024 - The five shortlisted films have been unveiled during a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in the presence of Members of the European Parliament and film directors

This afternoon, the five films competing for the 2025 LUX Audience Award were announced during a press conference held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The event brought together MEPs, filmmakers and audiences to launch a new edition of the biggest audience film award in the European Union – a joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. Since 2020, the prestigious pan-European award has aimed to foster dialogue and engagement between politics and the general public through cinema, highlighting key social and political issues of our time and enhancing the circulation of European films. This year’s finalists are Animal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile] by Sofia Exarchou (Greece/Austria/Romania/Cyprus/Bulgaria), Dahomey [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Mati Diop (France/Senegal/Benin), Flow [+see also:
film review
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interview: Gints Zilbalodis
film profile] by Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium), Intercepted [+see also:
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film profile] by Oksana Karpovych (Canada/France/Ukraine) and Julie Keeps Quiet [+see also:
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interview: Leonardo van Dijl
film profile] by Leonardo van Dijl (Belgium/Sweden).

After turning heads with her harrowing feature debut, Park [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile], Greek director Sofia Exarchou presented her sophomore feature, Animal, in the International Competition of the Locarno Film Festival this year, where it received the Leopard for Best Performance, awarded to Dimitra Vlagopoulou for her outstanding portrayal of an animator at an all-inclusive island resort. Exarchou presents a visually striking and poignant portrayal of entertainment labour and its impact on the female body, delivering a subtle yet powerful political message.

For the second time this year, two documentaries will compete for the LUX Audience Award, including Dahomey, the recent Golden Bear winner by French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop. Diop, who won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her striking feature debut, the supernatural romantic drama Atlantics [+see also:
film review
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interview: Mati Diop
film profile], set in the suburbs of Dakar, now travels to Benin to follow the journey of a series of artworks, stolen from the old Kingdom of Dahomey during colonial times, as they return to their country of origin. Diop builds an atmospheric tale where she gives voice to the local population (and the artefacts themselves) as they discuss identity, culture and the enduring effects of colonialism.

Following in the footsteps of Flee [+see also:
film review
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interview: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
film profile] by Jonas Poher Rasmussen – a 2022 LUX Audience Award finalist – Gints Zilbalodis’s Flow is only the second animated feature (and the first fictional one) to vie for the prize since its rebranding. This endearing environmental tale about a cat in the aftermath of a catastrophic flood, which touches on themes such as climate change and humanity’s impact on the planet, has captivated audiences and critics alike at festivals such as Cannes, Toronto and Annecy. The film has also been selected as Latvia’s submission for the 97th Academy Awards (see the news).

The 2024 Berlinale Forum entry Intercepted by Oksana Karpovych is the other documentary in this year’s selection. In her second feature, the Ukrainian filmmaker, who has a background in journalism, offers a disturbing perspective on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She edits 31 hours of private phone-call recordings between Russian soldiers and their families, and combines them with static images of the wartime devastation, including bombed buildings and abandoned infrastructure devoid of human presence.

Julie Keeps Quiet premiered in the Cannes Critics' Week earlier this year and has since been selected as Belgium’s entry for the 2025 Oscars. Leonardo van Dijl's debut feature centres on a young female tennis player (an outstanding performance by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck) who faces a moral dilemma when her coach is suspended following another athlete’s suicide. The Belgian filmmaker explores issues of abuse, domination and control within the realm of high-level sports, which resonate with broader societal conversations.

The five films nominated for the LUX Audience Award were selected by a panel of film professionals from across Europe. Over the coming months, the shortlisted titles will be screened in cinemas throughout the EU, including free screenings organised in collaboration with the European Parliament Liaison Offices in various member states. Last year, more than 700 screenings were held, engaging over 70,000 audience members. During the “Watch, Rate and Win” period, European citizens and Members of the European Parliament will have the opportunity to rate the movies via a dedicated platform. Ratings from both groups will be considered on an equal footing in determining the final winner of the 2025 LUX Audience Award, which will be announced in April.

A notable addition to this year's edition is the Young Talent Programme, launched this week in Strasbourg. Organised by the European Parliament and Europa Cinemas, this initiative aims to engage and empower 27 young professionals – one from each EU member state – in promoting European values and the LUX Audience Award project in their respective countries.

More information can be found on the LUX Audience Award official website.