Short Films at the European Film Awards: Who Will Win?

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Awards season is inching itself into full swing. Whilst the eyes of mainstream media is on the likes of the Golden Globes and the Oscars, the European Film Awards deserves more attention for heralding the brightest European lights in filmmaking.

 

Alongside the lineup of auteur smashes in the main award, the likes of Cannes selections COLD WAR (Pawel Pawlikowski), HAPPY AS LAZZARO (Alice Rohrwacher), and DOGMAN (Matteo Garrone), there’s a doozy of a short film category. A gangbusters lineup has been assembled, including many FFL filmmakers we’d love to congratulate. No winner is certain. Prognostications are not as clear as with the American awards circuit – where there seem to be endless forecasts – something which arguably makes the race for the European Film Awards even more entertaining.

Read on to find out about the FFL short film nominees, with the winner announced in a ceremony at Seville’s storied Teatro de la Maestranza tonight (Saturday 15th December).

FFL Nominees at the EFA’s:


AQUAPARQUE
(dir. Ana Moreira)

“In an abandoned waterpark, a girl and a boy are hidden from the outside world. Between the graffited ruins of the old swimming pools and blues slides, they find a shelter for their loss of hopes and dreams.”


BURKINA BRANDENBURG KOMPLEX
(dir. Ulu Braun)

“‘A presumably African village, inhabited by Germans. The film Burkina Brandenburg Komplex describes a geographical construction that makes use of “our” medial and collective image of Africa and puts it to the test through inaccuracies. An archaeological find is made in a mine: a Ferrari®. We tag along with Joachim on his everyday rounds. He has his heart set on realising a common energy project. The Museum of Prussian Cultural Heritage is run by a woman of color. She presents artefacts from Western consumer culture with a special emphasis on German products. Joachim is involved in the ritualistic production of energy in the village, but gets excluded when the ceremony is nearing its finale, finally catapulting himself out of the “story/history”.”


GRADUATION ’97
(dir. Pavlo Ostrikov)

“Roman lives a lonely life in a provincial city and works as a technician. For the first time since graduation, Liuda, his ex-classmate, comes back to town. Nobody has heard anything from her for twenty years, but Roman is set on not losing her again.”


I SIGNED THE PETITION
(dir. Mahdi Fleifel)

“Immediately after a Palestinian man signs an online petition, he is thrown into a panic-inducing spiral of self-doubt. Over the course of a conversation with an understanding friend, he analyses, deconstructs and interprets the meaning of his choice to publicly support the cultural boycott of Israel.”


KAPITALISTIS
(dir. Pablo Munoz Gomez)

“Santa is capitalist. He brings toys to the rich kids and sweatshirts to the poor ones.” Nikos, 5 years old.”


CONTAINER
(dir. Sebastian Lang)

“”Two female Polish farm workers live alongside each other at a Brandenburg dairy, each deliberately ignoring the other until one day Tava doesn’t turn up for work.”


MERYEM
(dir. Reber Dosky)

“Filmed during the battle of Kobani, this film reveals the women at the heart of the fight against IS. With stoical perseverance and the aid of American airstrikes, these women are leading the fight for freedom.”


PRISONER OF SOCIETY
(dir. R. Tsiteladze)

“Prisoner of Society is an intimate journey into the world and mind of a young transgender woman trapped between personal desire for freedom and traditional expectations of her parents amid the growing tensions provoked by LGBT politics in Georgia. Focused on family, members of which reveal hidden fears, hopes and motives, the film connects the seemingly separate realities and poses the question – what it means to be a stranger in your own home and country.”


THOSE WHO DESIRE
(dir. Elena Lopez)

“In the south of Spain, a race of colourfully painted pigeons, will reward not the one who flies the fastest, but the one who will have known how to seduce a female pigeon, and to fly the longest time at its sides.”


Find out about the rest of the nominees here.

Read more FilmFestivalLife stories:

:: The Best Festival Docs To Stream Online Right Now

:: Filmmaker Story. Reka Bucsi at the Berlinale

Read more of Andrew’s articles

 

Is your film ready for festivals?
FilmFestivalLife helps you find the right festivals for your film:   Start submitting today

Andrew Wilkin

Andrew Wilkin is the Client and Community Support Coordinator at FFL. His editorial background has involved working at unlike. His film experience has included a position at moviepilot. Reach him at andrew@filmfestivallife.com