Sentimental Value leads European Film Awards nominations: Sirat, Sound of Falling among top contenders

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• Leading contenders and what to watch
• All films nominated for European Film (best picture)
• Who is vying for Best Director
• Lead acting nominations — male and female contenders
  • Best Actress
  • Best Actor
• Screenwriting honors: original voices nominated
• Documentary category — powerful nonfiction entries
• Animated features competing for the prize
• European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI: new directors to follow
• Youth and family pick: European Young Audience Award nominees

The European Film Academy unveiled its nominees in Seville, setting the stage for a winter showdown of art-house dramas, documentaries and animated gems. Industry eyes will follow a crowded field led by a handful of films that dominated the ballots, with the winners to be revealed in Berlin this January.

Leading contenders and what to watch

One film swept ahead of the pack. Sentimental Value tops the nominations, followed by several strong challengers. These frontrunners are gaining buzz across critics’ circles and festival screenings.

• Sentimental Value — the most-nominated film this year, with five nods.
• Sirāt — a close runner-up with four nominations.
• Sound of Falling and It Was Just an Accident — each earned three nominations.

Winners will be announced on Jan. 17 in Berlin.

All films nominated for European Film (best picture)

The Academy’s top film category gathers a diverse slate from across the continent and beyond.

• AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE (TARDES DE SOLEDAD) — Spain, France. Dir: Albert Serra. (Documentary)
• ARCO — France. Dir: Ugo Bienvenu. (Animated)
• DOG OF GOD (DIEVA SUNS) — Latvia, United States. Dirs: Raitis Ābele & Lauris Ābele. (Animated)
• FIUME O MORTE! — Croatia, Slovenia, Italy. Dir: Igor Bezinović. (Documentary)
• IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT) — France, Iran, Luxembourg. Dir: Jafar Panahi. (Fiction)
• LITTLE AMELIE (AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES) — France. Dirs: Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han. (Animated)
• OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE (L’OLÍVIA I EL TERRATRÈMOL INVISIBLE) — Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Chile. Dir: Irene Iborra Rizo. (Animated)
• RIEFENSTAHL — Germany. Dir: Andres Veiel. (Documentary)
• SENTIMENTAL VALUE (AFFEKSJONSVERDI) — Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden. Dir: Joachim Trier. (Fiction)
• SIRĀT (SIRÂT) — Spain, France. Dir: Oliver Laxe. (Fiction)
• SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH (ПІСНІ ЗЕМЛІ, ЩО ПОВІЛЬНО ГОРИТЬ) — Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden. Dir: Olha Zhurba. (Documentary)
• SOUND OF FALLING (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN) — Germany. Dir: Mascha Schilinski. (Fiction)
• TALES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN (POHADKY PO BABICCE) — Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France. Multiple directors. (Animated)
• THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — France, Tunisia. Dir: Kaouther Ben Hania. (Fiction)
• WITH HASAN IN GAZA — Germany. Dir: Kamal Aljafari. (Documentary)

Who is vying for Best Director

Recognizing the directors shaping European cinema this year, the Academy picked five filmmakers whose work has stood out.

• Yorgos Lanthimos — BUGONIA
• Oliver Laxe — SIRĀT
• Jafar Panahi — IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT)
• Mascha Schilinski — SOUND OF FALLING (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN)
• Joachim Trier — SENTIMENTAL VALUE (AFFEKSJONSVERDI)

Lead acting nominations — male and female contenders

Best Actress

• Leonie Benesch — LATE SHIFT
• Valeria Bruni Tedeschi — DUSE
• Léa Drucker — CASE 137
• Vicky Krieps — LOVE ME TENDER
• Renate Reinsve — SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Best Actor

• Sergi López — SIRĀT
• Mads Mikkelsen — THE LAST VIKING
• Toni Servillo — LA GRAZIA
• Stellan Skarsgård — SENTIMENTAL VALUE
• Idan Weiss — FRANZ

Screenwriting honors: original voices nominated

This award highlights storytelling craft across Europe.

• Santiago Fillol & Oliver Laxe — SIRĀT
• Jafar Panahi — IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT)
• Mascha Schilinski & Louise Peter — SOUND OF FALLING (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN)
• Paolo Sorrentino — LA GRAZIA
• Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier — SENTIMENTAL VALUE (AFFEKSJONSVERDI)

Documentary category — powerful nonfiction entries

• AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE (TARDES DE SOLEDAD) — Dir: Albert Serra (Spain, France)
• FIUME O MORTE! — Dir: Igor Bezinović (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy)
• RIEFENSTAHL — Dir: Andres Veiel (Germany)
• SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH — Dir: Olha Zhurba (Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden)
• WITH HASAN IN GAZA — Dir: Kamal Aljafari (Germany)

Animated features competing for the prize

European animation shows a range from intimate experiments to family adventures.

• ARCO — Dir: Ugo Bienvenu (France)
• DOG OF GOD (DIEVA SUNS) — Dirs: Raitis Ābele & Lauris Ābele (Latvia, US)
• LITTLE AMELIE (AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES) — Dirs: Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han (France)
• OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE — Dir: Irene Iborra Rizo (Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Chile)
• TALES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN — Multiple directors (Czech Rep., Slovakia, Slovenia, France)

European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI: new directors to follow

This prize highlights a director’s first full-length fiction film. A special committee selected the nominees.

• LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS (KAJ TI JE DEKLICA) — Dir: Urška Djukić (Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia)
• MY FATHER’S SHADOW — Dir: Akinola Davies Jr (UK, Nigeria)
• ON FALLING — Dir: Laura Carreira (UK, Portugal)
• ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN HEMME DIES (HEMME’NİN ÖLDÜĞÜ GÜNLERDEN BİRİ) — Dir: Murat Fıratoğlu (Turkey, Germany)
• SAUNA — Dir: Mathias Broe (Denmark)
• UNDER THE GREY SKY (POD SZARYM NIEBEM) — Dir: Mara Tamkovich (Poland)

Youth and family pick: European Young Audience Award nominees

• ARCO — Dir: Ugo Bienvenu (France)
• I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A BOOK (VÉLETLENÜL ÍRTAM EGY KÖNYVET) — Dir: Nóra Lakos (Hungary, Netherlands)
• SIBLINGS (LA VITA DA GRANDI) — Dir: Greta Scarano (Italy)