05/11/2024 - The European Film Academy celebrates the third edition of the initiative, with a record participation of more than 100 cities in 42 countries

After a successful pan-European launch in 2022 and a great second edition in 2023 with 75 partners, the European Film Academy presents this year's Month of European Film as Europe’s own film and award season. Starting on 1 November, it celebrates the diversity of European film for five weeks until its grand finale on 7 December with the European Film Awards in Lucerne (Switzerland).

Across Europe, thanks to the Academy’s partner Europa Cinemas, flagship cinemas in over 100 cities in 42 countries from Iceland to Greece, from Portugal to Georgia – including capital cities, small towns and national cinema networks – highlight European films, presenting special programmes, events and dedicated retrospectives. At the same time, the global streaming platform MUBI presents a special focus on European films, VOD portal DAFilms highlights a selection of European documentaries, and Festival Scope celebrates the short film candidates for the European Film Awards, altogether allowing film lovers around the world to participate. The Seville European Film Festival, long-time Academy partner in Spain and important platform for European cinema, is once again highlighting many films from the Academy Selection 2024. The programmes also include the films nominated for the LUX Audience Award 2025.

One of the highlights of the Month of European Film will be the Young Audience Film Day (3 November), organised simultaneously in 37 cities in 30 European countries - and online – and including a screening of Scrapper [+see also:
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The Month of European Film will also see the European Arthouse Cinema Day on 17 November, a project organised by CICAE, the international confederation of arthouse cinemas.

Many of the participating cinemas will focus on younger audiences: there are special screenings for young people, often combined with discussions, educational workshops and interactive activities in several cities. Audience engagement in general again plays a major role for all participating cinemas, with initiatives ranging from senior- and baby-friendly screenings, master classes with film professionals, an animation workshop or a film quiz. Many theatres will show retrospectives of renowned European filmmakers, and others will host focus on films from a specific European country. Here is a full overview of the programme in Switzerland ahead of Lucerne's European Film Awards ceremony and here is the full information on the initiative and events.
 
“With the Month of European Film, European cinema comes closer to home for many people. This way, the Academy continues to build a network and a window for the simultaneous celebration of European cinema. We’re proud to welcome cinema partners in more than 100 cities in Europe this year, for the first time including Armenia and Cyprus. It’s great to see that in many countries we have more than one partner cinema by now, up to five or six in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. Montenegro is even the first country in Europe to participate with all the country’s cinemas,” says Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and Director of the European Film Academy.