07/10/2025 - The five nominees have been announced during a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, kicking off the rating period

The race for the 2026 LUX Audience Award is on, following the announcement of the five films that will be competing in the latest edition of Europe’s biggest audience award, jointly presented since 2020 by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in collaboration with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas. During a press conference held this afternoon at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, First Vice-President Sabine Verheyen and Nela Riehl, chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, revealed this year’s finalists: Christy [+see also:
film review
interview: Brendan Canty
film profile] by Brendan Canty (Ireland/UK), Deaf [+see also:
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interview: Eva Libertad
film profile] by Eva Libertad (Spain), It Was Just an Accident [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Jafar Panahi
film profile] by Jafar Panahi (France/Luxembourg/Iran), Love Me Tender [+see also:
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interview: Anna Cazenave Cambet
film profile] by Anna Cazenave Cambet (France) and Sentimental Value [+see also:
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interview: Joachim Trier
film profile] by Joachim Trier (Norway/France/Denmark/Germany). As in previous years, the five shortlisted titles capture the diversity and vitality of European cinema, tackling themes such as youth protection, disability, justice, LGBTQ+ rights and cultural heritage. The announcement is going to be followed by a launch event in the presence of European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and various film representatives.

Brendan Canty’s debut feature had its world premiere in the Generation 14plus programme at the Berlinale earlier this year, where it won the section’s Grand Prix. Christy follows the titular 17-year-old who, after being forced to leave his foster home, moves in with his estranged half-brother in a working-class neighbourhood on the north side of Cork. Revisiting a story he first told as a short film, Canty delivers a tender social drama about the struggles of young people from underprivileged areas and the strength of family bonds. The film doesn’t shy away from humour and is punctuated by rap music, all anchored by a magnetic lead performance by Danny Power.

The other Berlinale entry in the selection, Deaf by Spain’s Eva Libertad, was one of the most celebrated titles at the German gathering, taking home the Audience Award in the Panorama section and kicking off a successful festival run, including a resounding reception at the Málaga Film Festival (where it received four gongs). Another feature debut based on a short of the same name, Deaf provides an invaluable window into the life of a deaf woman as she faces motherhood. Deaf actress Miriam Garlo delivers a striking and nuanced performance as a woman who must confront the reality of raising a daughter in a world that’s not built for her, while learning to navigate her altered relationship with her hearing partner (a commendable counterpart played by Álvaro Cervantes).

It Was Just an Accident, the latest Palme d’Or winner by Iranian master Jafar Panahi, is one of three Cannes titles competing for the 2026 LUX Audience Award. Filmed in secrecy and without permission from the Iranian authorities, the movie delivers another powerful meditation on the cyclical nature of violence. A co-production between France, Luxembourg and Iran, It Was Just an Accident unfolds as a revenge thriller in which a minor incident sets off a series of unexpected and escalating consequences, set against a backdrop of political repression and moral conflict in contemporary Iran. The film has also been selected as France’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards (see the news).

In her sophomore feature, Love Me Tender (following Gold for Dogs [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), French filmmaker Anna Cazenave Cambet adapts Constance Debré’s novel of the same name. Presented in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, the film centres on a mother’s years-long struggle to reclaim her son, custody of whom was granted to her ex-husband after she came out as homosexual. Anchored by another brilliant performance from Vicky Krieps, the film presents a compelling and heart-wrenching story that delivers a powerful message about LGBTQ+ rights, gender identity and family structures within a legal system still marred by discrimination.

Sentimental Value premiered in Cannes’ main competition this year, where it won the Grand Prix, and has since been selected as Norway’s submission for the 2026 Oscars. In his latest work, renowned filmmaker Joachim Trier reunites with Renate Reinsve following their acclaimed collaboration on The Worst Person in the World [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile]. The Norwegian actress is joined by a stellar cast, including Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, in this family psychodrama about two sisters who reconnect with their estranged father (a once-renowned film director) after their mother’s passing, bringing long-buried family secrets and tensions to the surface. A true European co-production, which directly addresses the current state of the film industry, Sentimental Value delves into themes of cultural heritage, family history and identity.

Through these five films, selected by a panel of European film professionals, the LUX Audience Award seeks to foster dialogue and engagement between politics and the public through cinema, while also supporting the wider circulation of European movies. In this regard, for the first time ever, all nominated films will be adapted for hearing-impaired audiences. As always, over the coming months, the shortlisted works will be screened in cinemas across the EU, including free screenings organised in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Offices in several member states. Last year, more than 900 screenings were held, with debates involving over 90,000 audience members.

Until April, European citizens and Members of the European Parliament will be encouraged to rate the films via a dedicated platform to decide together on the winner of the 2026 LUX Audience Award, with votes from both groups carrying equal weight in determining the outcome. The 27 young professionals participating in the second edition of the Young Talent Programme, present in Strasbourg for the announcement, will once again serve as ambassadors for the award, promoting the shortlisted titles throughout the rating period.

More information about the calendar and the screenings being organised will be accessible on the LUX Audience Award official website.