This year’s European Film Awards will be dominated by movies that won prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, with Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War,” Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman,” Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro,” Lukas Dhont’s “Girl” and Ali Abbasi’s “Border” all in the running for best picture.
A 1950s-set love story shot in black and white, “Cold War” world premiered in competition at Cannes, along with the crime thriller “Dogman” and magic parable “Happy as Lazzaro.” “Cold War” won the award for best director, “Dogman” for best actor and “Happy as Lazzaro” for screenplay.
“Girl,” a drama about a transgender teen who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, world premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and won four awards, including the Golden Camera for best first film. “Border” also opened in Un Certain Regard and won the top prize. It follows a customs officer with an extraordinary sense of smell, who develops a strange attraction to a suspect she’s investigating.
“Cold War,” “Dogman,” “Girl” and “Border” represent their respective countries – Poland, Italy, Belgium and Sweden – in the 2019 foreign-language Oscar race.
For the European Film Awards, which will be handed out Dec. 15, “Cold War” leads the pack with nominations for best European film, director, actress (Joanna Kulig), actor (Tomasz Kot ) and screenwriter. “Dogman,” “Happy as Lazzaro” and “Border” have four nominations each.
Also in the running for best European director is Israeli helmer Samuel Maoz for his controversial and bold war drama “Foxtrot.” The film world premiered at Venice last year and won the Grand Jury Prize.
Nominees in the acting categories include Victor Polster for his breakthrough performance as Lara in “Girl”; Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde in “The Happy Prince”; Halldora Geirhardsdottir for her double roles in the Icelandic film “Woman at War,” which world premiered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week; and Marie Baumer as Romy Schneider in “3 Days in Quiberon,” which premiered at the Berlinale.
The European documentary section comprises Bernadett Tuza-Ritter’s “A Woman Captured,” Jane Magnusson’s “Bergman – A Year in a Life,” Talal Derki’s “Of Fathers and Sons,” Simon Lereng Wilmont’s “The Distant Barking of Dogs” and Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar’s “The Silence of Others.”
The 31st European Film Awards ceremony will take place Dec. 15 in Seville, Spain.
