The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the

European Film Academy The European Film Academy is a group of European film director, filmmakers who come together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. Every year, the European Film Academy honors films an ...

to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the most important is the Best Film. They are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors and actors. The awards were officially also called the "Felix Awards" until 1997, in reference to the former award's trophy statuette, which was replaced by a feminine statuette. Since 1997, the European Film Awards have been held in early- to mid-December. Hosting duties have alternated between

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in odd-numbered years and other European cities in even-numbered years. The 33rd European Film Awards were held on 12 December 2020 as a virtual ceremony. In reaction to the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, Russian films were excluded from the 2022 European Film Awards.

Awarding procedures

Feature films participating in the European Film Awards must be European feature-length fiction films intended for normal theatrical release which must have had their first official screening (be it at a festival or at a regular cinema) after 1 July of the year before. Based on a selection of approximately 40 films recommended for a nomination, the members of the

vote for the nominations in the main categories, which are announced in early November at the Seville European Film Festival. Based on the nominations, the members of the European Film Academy then vote for the winners which are announced at the European Film Awards Ceremony in early December.

Eligibility

The criteria whereby a film qualifies as European are based upon the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, Appendix II, issued by the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

. This definition might be extended for Israeli and Palestinian works and nationalities. A cinematographic work qualifies as European if it achieves at least 16 points (out of 21). The European Film Academy uses a lower minimum of 13 points.

Host cities

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

event Up through the 2018 ceremony, 15 cities in 10 countries have hosted the contest. Berlin has been host 14 times, Potsdam 3 times, and Paris 2 times. Barcelona, Bochum, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Riga, Rome, Seville, Tallinn, Valletta, Warsaw, and Wroclaw, have each hosted once.

Award categories

Current categories

* Best Film * Best Comedy * European Discovery * Best Animated Feature Film * Best Short Film * Best Documentary Film * Best Director * Best Actor * Best Actress * Best Composer * Best Editor * Best Screenwriter * Best Production Designer * Best Cinematographer * Best European Co-Production * Best Sound Designer * Best Costume Designer * Best Makeup and Hairstyling * Best Visual Effects

Audience awards

* Audience Award for Best Film * Young Audience Award * University Award (Student's Choice)

Special awards

* Lifetime Achievement * Achievement in World Cinema

Defunct awards

* Best Non-European Film * Best Young Film * Best Supporting Actor * Best Supporting Actress * Best Supporting Performance * Best Young Actor or Actress * People's Choice Award Best Actor * People's Choice Award Best Actress * People's Choice Award Best Director * Prix d'Excellence * Critics Award * Award of Merit * Honorary Award * Special Jury Award * European Cinema Society Special Award * Special Mention

Proposed awards

* Best Animated Short Subject * Best Live Action Short Subject * Best Documentary Short Subject * Best Music Video * Best Cast * Best Action or Adventure Film * Best Sound Editing * Best Sound Mixing * Best Screenwriter - Adapted * Best Screenwriter - Original * Best Costume Designer in Contemporary Film * Best Costume Designer in Historic Film * Best Costume Designer in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film * Best Production Designer in Contemporary Film * Best Production Designer in Historic Film * Best Production Designer in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film * Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Contemporary Film * Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Historic Film * Best Makeup and Hairstylist in Unreal World (Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Film * Best Choreographer * Best Original Song * Best Poster * Best Stunt Ensemble * Best Actor – Series * Best Actress – Series * Best African Film * Best Latin American Film * Best North American Film * Best Asian Film * Best Middle East and North Africa Film * Best Australia and Pacific Film

Timeline

:Category included in the cumulative category named ''Award of Excellence'' or ''Artistic Contribution Achievement'' :Category included in the ''Production Designer'' category :Critics choice transferred to ''European Discovery'' :People's Choice transferred to European Parliaments '' Lux Prize'' Audience Film Award

Films with multiple wins

;8 wins * '' The Favourite'' (2019) ;6 wins * ''

Good Bye, Lenin! ''Good Bye, Lenin!'' is a 2003 German tragicomedy film, directed by Wolfgang Becker. The cast includes Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, and Maria Simon. The story follows a family in East Germany (GDR); the mother (Sass) is ded ...

'' (2003) *'' The Ghost Writer'' (2010) * '' The Square'' (2017) * ''

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

'' (2018+2019) * ''

Anatomy of a Fall ''Anatomy of a Fall'' () is a 2023 French psychological legal drama film, directed by Justine Triet from a screenplay she co-wrote with Arthur Harari. It stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband's death. A ...

'' (2023) ;5 wins * '' Talk to Her'' (2002) * '' Caché'' (2005) * ''

Volver ''Volver'' (, meaning "to return") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and ...

'' (2006) * '' Gomorrah'' (2008) * '' Ida'' (2014) * ''

Toni Erdmann ''Toni Erdmann'' is a 2016 comedy drama film, produced, written and directed by Maren Ade. It stars Peter Simonischek as an eccentric man who intrudes upon the life of his daughter, a career-focused business executive played by Sandra Hüller. ...

'' (2016) * '' Emilia Perez'' (2024) ;4 wins * '' Open Doors'' (1990) * '' Toto the Hero'' (1991) * ''

Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical psychological tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...

'' (2000) * ''

Amélie ''Amélie'' (, , ) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story ...

'' (2001) * '' Amour'' (2012) * '' The Great Beauty'' (2013) * '' Another Round'' (2020) * '' Quo Vadis, Aida?'' (2021+2022) * '' Triangle of Sadness'' (2022) ;3 wins * '' High Hopes'' (1989) * '' The Northerners'' (1992) * '' Les Amants du Pont-Neuf'' (1992) * ''

Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...

'' (1996) * '' All About My Mother'' (1999) * ''

Sunshine Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared (typically per ...

'' (1999) * '' Sophie Scholl – The Final Days'' (2005) * ''

The Lives of Others ''The Lives of Others'' (, ) is a 2006 German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck marking his feature film directorial debut. The plot is about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, Ea ...

'' (2006) * '' The White Ribbon'' (2009) * ''

The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ther ...

'' (2011) * ''

Melancholia Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...