At the Filmfest Hamburg, the five nominated films for the first European University Film Award (EUFA)have been announced. The aim of this new initiative by the European Film Academy (EFA)and Filmfest Hamburg is to involve a younger audience, to spread the “European idea” and to transport the spirit of European cinema to an audience of university students. It shall also support film dissemination, film education and the culture of debating.Based on the lists of 50 feature films and 15 documentaries from the EFA Selections 2016 a committee consisting of of Feo Aladag (director, Germany), Dagmar Brunow (academic, Linnaeus University, Sweden), Luis Martinez Lopez (journalist, El Mundo, Spain) and Patrick Sobelman (producer, France) has decided on the following nominations.
Bacalaureat (Graduation), Cristian Mungiu, Romania, France and Belgium
Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea), Gianfranco Rosi,Italy and France
Hymyilevä mies (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki), Juho Kuosmanen, Finland, Germany and Sweden
I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach, UK and France
Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade, Germany and Austria
The nominated films will be viewed and discussed in 13 universities in 13 countries and each institution will select its favourite film. In early December, one student representative from each university will attend a two-day deliberation meeting to decide on the overall winner. The announcement of the winning film will then take place in the week of the European Film Awards on 10 December in Wroclaw/Poland, European Capital of Culture 2016.