The 38th European Film Awards will be announced tonight in Berlin during the largest gathering honoring Europe’s film sector.
Held in December by tradition, the European Film Academy has chosen to hold this year’s event now in order to more effectively align the award ceremony with the global awards calendar.
Often referred to as “Europe’s counterpart to the Oscars,” Joachim Trier’s family dramaSentimental Valueand Óliver Laxe’s apocalyptic journeySirāthave taken the lead, each receiving four nominations.
Watch the awards live here on Euronews Culture.
Sentimental Value, which claimed the Grand Prix at Cannes last year, is nominated for Best European Film, as well as Best Director for Joachim Trier, Best Actress for Renate Reinsve, Best Actor for Stellan Skarsgård, and Best Screenwriter for Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier.
All well-earned, as the family drama showcases exceptional acting from both Reinsve and Skarsgård, along with a script that delves into troubled family relationships in an emotionally powerful manner.
In our review, we stated: “Even though the conclusion is something you’ll likely figure out by the end of the first act,”Sentimental Valuedoes coalesce into a sophisticated tribute to giving one’s all and how, in certain instances, life and creativity can merge to produce something more significant.Read the complete review here.
Neck and neck with Sentimental Value is Sirāt, one of our top movies from 2025 and recipient of the Cannes Jury Prize. Óliver Laxe’s enigmatic and spiritual journey is nominated for Best European Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Sergi López, and Best Screenwriter by Santiago Fillol and Laxe.
In our review, we stated: “Whether you’re fully committed to the journey into oblivion or the bold attempts”Sirātcaptures, Laxe creates such an overwhelming and energizing trance that you’ll undoubtedly bring this movie home with you. Its effect will echo in your mind and body.Read the complete review here.
Elsewhere, Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winning filmIt Happened by Chance It Was Simply an Accident It Was Just a Mishap It Was Only an Incident It Was Accidental It Was Unintentional It Was a Casual Occurrence It Was a Simple Accident It Was Not on Purpose It Was an Unplanned Eventhas been nominated three times, including for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenwriter for Panahi.The Sound of Fallingalso features three nominations: Best Film, Best Director for Mascha Schilinski, and Best Screenwriter for Schilinski and Louise Peter.
Fifteen films will be in the running for the Best European Film award, after a new regulation allows entries that were nominated for Best Documentary and Best Animation to also be considered for the highest honor.
Oscar-shortlisted Norwegian actress and filmmaker Liv Ullmann (Persona, Scenes From A Marriage) will be awarded a lifetime achievement honor at next year’s EFAs, while Italian director Alice Rohrwacher (La Chimera, Happy as Lazzaro) will receive the European Achievement in World Cinema Award.
Here are all the EFA 2026 nominations:
Best European Film
- Afternoons of Solitude (Spain, France) – Directed by Albert Serra
- ARCO (France) – Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
- DOG OF GOD (Latvia, United States) – Directed by Raitis Ābele and Lauris Ābele
- FLAME OR DEATH! (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy) – Directed by Igor Bezinović
- IT SEEMED TO BE A CHANCE EVENT (France, Iran, Luxembourg) – Directed by Jafar Panahi
- LITTLE AMELIE (France) – Directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
- OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE (Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Chile) – Directed by Irene Iborra Rizo
- Riefenstahl (Germany) – Directed by Andres Veiel
- Sentimental Value (Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden) – Directed by Joachim Trier
- SIRÂT (Spain, France) – Directed by Oliver Laxe
- Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden) – Directed by Olha Zhurba
- FALLING SOUND (Germany) – Directed by Mascha Schilinski
- STORIES FROM THE MAGICAL GARDEN (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France) – Directed by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar & Jean-Claude Rozec,
- THE SOUND OF HIND RAJAB (France, Tunisia) – Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
- WITH HASAN IN GAZA (Germany) – Directed by Kamal Aljafari
Best European Documentary
- AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
- FIUME O MORTE!
- RIEFENSTAHL
- Songs of Slow Burning Earth
- WITH HASAN IN GAZA
Best Animated Feature Film from Europe
- ARCO
- DOG OF GOD
- LITTLE AMELIE
- OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE SEISMIC EVENT
- STORIES FROM THE MAGICAL GROVE
Best European Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos for BUGONIA
- Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
- Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
- Mascha Schilinski presents SOUND OF FALLING
- Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value
European Actress
- Leonie Benesch in Late Shift
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in DUSE
- Léa Drucker in Case 137
- Vicky Krieps in LOVE ME TENDER
- Renate Reinsve in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
European Actor
- Sergi López in SIRĀT
- Mads Mikkelsen in The Last Viking
- Toni Servillo in La Grazia
- Stellan Skarsgård in Sentimental Value
- Idan Weiss in FRANZ
European Screenwriter
- Santiago Fillol and Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
- Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
- Mascha Schilinski and Louise Peter for SOUND OF FALLING
- Paolo Sorrentino for LA GRAZIA
- Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value
European Discovery – FIPRESCI Prize
- SMALL TROUBLE GIRLS (KAJ TI JE DEKLICA) (Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia) – Directed by Urška Djukić
- MY FATHER’S SHADOW (United Kingdom, Nigeria) – Directed by Akinola Davies Jr
- ON FALLING (United Kingdom, Portugal) – Directed by Laura Carreira
- A Day Like This When Hemme Dies (Turkey, Germany) – Directed by Murat Fıratoğlu
- SAUNA (Denmark) – Directed by Mathias Broe
- Beneath the Gray Sky (Poland) – Directed by Mara Tamkovich
European Young Audience Award
- ARCO
- I Unintentionally Composed a Book (Hungary, Netherlands) – Directed by Nóra Lakos
- BROTHERS AND SISTERS (Italy) – Directed by Greta Scarano