The European Film Academy revealed its nominations for the 38th European Film Awards on Tuesday, marking not only the start of awards season, but also putting in a pin of a year in film defined by bold choices, political urgency and emotional storytelling.
The two frontrunners of the race are clear: Joachim Trier’s tender family drama and Óliver Laxe‘s mystical, post-apocalyptic odyssey Sirāt. Both films have earned widespread acclaim during the festival circuit, and now lead the nomination tally across the major categories including Best European Film, Director, Screenwriter and both acting races.
Beyond the headline contenders, this year’s nominations offer a vibrant cross-section of European film. Documentaries sit confidently alongside fiction, while animated features continue to gain cultural traction – reflecting the Academy’s commitment to representing the full spectrum of storytelling on the continent.
Films such as Fiume o Morte!, Songs of Slow Burning Earth, and the German feature Sound of Falling demonstrate the commitment of documentarians to keep pushing the boundaries of the form. Meanwhile, the animation categories are growing to be some of the most internationally visible, with titles like Arco, Little Amélie and Tales from the Magic Garden showcasing the medium’s creative breadth.
This year marks a significant shift for the European Film Awards, which have now been moved from December to mid-January to align more naturally with the international awards season. The Academy hopes this adjustment will increase the visibility of European films on the global stage – a timely move as streaming platforms and co-productions continue to reshape the industry.
Diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of the Academy’s selection process, reflected in the wide range of genres, cultures and production backgrounds across the shortlist. With more than 5,400 Academy members voting, the nominations reveal not only popularity but a collective desire to champion innovation and breadth in European filmmaking.
The ceremony will take place on January 17th in Berlin.
The full list of nominees is available below:
European Film Awards 2026 nominations
Best European Film
AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE (Spain, France)
Directed by Albert Serra
Genre: Documentary
ARCO (France)
Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
Genre: Animation
DOG OF GOD (U.S)
Directed by Raitis Ābele & Lauris Ābele
Genre: Animation
FIUME O MORTE! (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy)
Directed by Igor Bezinović
Genre: Documentary
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT) (France, Iran, Luxembourg)
Directed by Jafar Panahi
Genre: Thriller/Criminalle
LITTLE AMELIE
Directed by Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han
Genre: Animation
OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKЕ
Directed by Irene Iborra Rizo
Genre: Animation
RIEFENSTAHL (Germany)
Directed by Andres Veiel
Genre: Documentary
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden)
Directed by Joachim Trier
Genre: Comedy/Drama
SIRÂT (Spain, France)
Directed by Oliver Laxe
Genre: Thriller
SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH (Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden)
Directed by Olha Zhurba
Genre: Documentary
SOUND OF FALLING (Germany)
Directed by Mascha Schilinski
Genre: Historical Drama
TALES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France)
Directed by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar & Jean-Claude Rozec,
Genre: Animation
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (France, Tunisia)
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
Genre: Docudrama
WITH HASAN IN GAZA (Germany)
Directed by Kamal Aljafari
Genre: Documentary
Best European Documentary
AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE (Spain, France)
Directed by Albert Serra
FIUME O MORTE! (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy)
Directed by Igor Bezinović
RIEFENSTAHL (Germany)
Directed by Andres Veiel
SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH (Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden)
Directed by Olha Zhurba
WITH HASAN IN GAZA (Germany)
Directed Kamal Aljafari
Best European Animated Feature Film
ARCO (France)
Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
DOG OF GOD (Latvia, United States)
Directed by Raitis Ābele & Lauris Ābele
LITTLE AMELIE (France)
Directed by Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han
OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE (Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Chile)
Directed by Irene Iborra Rizo
TALES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France)
Directed by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar & Jean-Claude Rozec
Best European Director
Yorgos Lanthimos for BUGONIA
Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
Jarar Panahi for IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Mascha Schilinski for SOUND OF FALLING
Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Best 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 & Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
Jafar Panahi for IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Mascha Schilinski & Louise Peter for SOUND OF FALLING
Paolo Sorrentino for LA GRAZIA
Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE
European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI
LITTLE 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
ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN HEMME DİES (Turkey, Germany)
Directed by Murat Fıratoğlu
SAUNA (Denmark
Directed by Mathias Broe
UNDER THE GREY SKY (Poland)
Directed by Mara Tamkovich
European Young Audience Award
ARCO (France)
Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A BOOK (Hungary, Netherlands)
Directed by Nóra Lakos
SIBLINGS (Italy)
Directed Greta Scarano
