'Fatherland' and 'La Bola Negra' Lead Contest for European Film Awards

Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” which centers on the relationship between the writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika, leads the contest for the 39th European Film Awards, followed close behind by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s “La Bola Negra.”

“Fatherland” has 11 EFA nominations, while “La Bola Negra,” a time-spanning epic based on a work of Federico Garcia Lorca, took 10 nominations. Both films shared the best director prize at Cannes.

The nominations, which were announced by the European Film Academy on Saturday at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece, were based on the votes of the 5,700 members of the academy. The winners will be unveiled on Jan. 16 in Athens.

In third place was Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner “Fjord” with five nominations, followed by Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose” with four nominations.

Pawlikowski, Calvo and Ambrossi, and Mungiu are competing for best director, alongside Sandra Wollner for “Everytime” and Andrey Zvyagintsev for “Minotaur,” winner of Cannes’ Grand Prix.

Sandra Hüller is nominated for both “Fatherland” and “Rose” in the best actress category, where she competes with Penélope Cruz for “Bunker,” Léa Seydoux for “Gentle Monster,” Renate Reinsve for “Fjord” and Mathilde Arcel for “Woman Unknown,” the winner for best actress in Venice.

Nominations for best actor went to Javier Bardem for “The Beloved,” Andrew Scott for “Elsinore,” Sebastian Stan for “Fjord,” Swann Arlaud for “A Man of His Time” and Hanns Zischler for “Fatherland.”

May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown,” the winner of Venice’s Golden Lion, had three nominations.

Two nominations each were taken by “Bunker,” “Coward,” “Elsinore,” “Everytime” and “Minotaur.”

The nominations for best documentary were for “NAZA,” winner of the Special Jury Prize in Venice, “Letters From the Silenced Country,” “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” which was the winner for best documentary in Cannes, “To Hold a Mountain” and “Whispers in the Woods.”

The animated films that were nominated were “Viva Carmen,” “Lucy Lost,” “Jim Queen,” “Iron Boy” and “In Waves.”

European Film

This category comprises five fiction film nominees as well as the nominated films from the best documentary and animation film categories.

European Animation Film

European Documentary

European Director

European Screenwriter

European Actress

European Actor

European Casting Director

European Cinematographer

European Composer (Original Score)

European Costume Designer

European Editor

European Make-up & Hair Artist

European Production Designer

European Sound

European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI

This award is presented in co-operation with FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, to a director for the first full-length fiction film. A committee composed of FIPRESCI members and experts appointed by the European Film Academy board decides on the nominated films.

The nominations for the European Young Audience Award as well as the European Short Film Award have already been announced. The winner of the European Achievement in World Cinema Award has also already been revealed.