European documentaries and/or docmakers were garlanded across no fewer than eight categories of the 2020 European Film Awards that were presented
8-12 December. The top prize of European Documentary 2020 went to Alexander Nanau’s Collective, after votes from 3800+ Academy members were counted.
European Documentary Award 2020: Collective by Alexander Nanau
The multi award-winning Collective is produced by Alexander Nanau Production (Alexander Nanau, Bianca Oana), Samsa Film (Bernard Michaux), HBO Europe (Hanka Kastelicova). Sales are handled by Cinephil.
In 2015, a fire at Bucharest’s Colectiv club leaves 27 dead and 180 injured. Soon, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. Then a doctor blows the whistle to a team of investigative journalists…
The film is also nominated for LUX European Audience Film Award, together with Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round and Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi. The LUX European Audience Film Award is presented by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, and in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas.
The three nominated films will be subtitled in all 24 EU languages in order to be accessible to the widest audience possible. After a “watch & vote” period (from mid-December to mid-April) during which the nominated films will be screened and rated online at www.luxaward.eu, the recipient of the new award will be determined by the general public and the Members of the European Parliament (each holding 50% of the vote). The winner will be announced in a ceremony in the European Parliament on 28 April 2021.
EFA Award for Innovative Storytelling: Mark Cousins for Women Make Film
Northern Ireland filmmaker Mark Cousins was awarded the inaugural EFA Award for Innovative Storytelling for his Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema. “With this award, the European Film Academy wishes to pay tribute to a ground-breaking documentary produced by Hopscotch Films, a 14-hour odyssey introducing the viewer to many amazing but often overlooked female auteurs of cinema,” says the award citation.
European Short Film winner: All Cats Are Grey in The Dark
Written and directed by Lasse Linder. Switzerland, 2019, 19 mins. Produced by Edith Flückiger. The short film selection and nomination procedure is organised by the European Film Academy and EFA Productions in co-operation with 24 film festivals throughout Europe. This year’s winner was the Sarajevo Film Festival candidate.
European University Film Award: Saudi Runaway
Written and directed by Regina Meures, Switzerland, 2020, documentary, 88 mins. Produced by Christian Frei. The award is presented by university students from across Europe. The nominated films were viewed and discussed in 25 universities in 25 countries and each institution selected its favourite film.
Eurimages Co-production Award 2020: Luís Urbano, Portugal
Since 2005, Luís Urbano has produced many films by renowned directors such as Miguel Gomes, João Nicolau, Sandro Aguilar, Salomé Lamas and Manoel de Oliveira. Recent documentaries he has produced include Viveiro (2019), Il Sogno Mio d’Amore (2018), Extinction (2018) and Eldorado XXII (2016).
Excellence Award in European Editing 2020: Maria Fantastica Valmori
For her work on Once More Unto the Breach (Italy, 2019), directed by Federico Ferrone, Michele Manzolini.
Citation: This documentary is considerably indebted to the editing. It consists almost entirely of grainy black and white archive film and each shot has been chosen with great care. Maria Fantastica Valmori skilfully edits the images of a train travelling across Europe towards the frontline and pictures of comrades-in-arms with scenes of past happiness but also death and destruction in a war-torn Europe. The archive used, no doubt chosen from many hours of material both amateur and professional, is absolutely vital in telling the film’s story.
Excellence Award in European Sound 2020: Yolande Decarsin
For her work on Little Girl (France/Denmark, 2020), directed by Sébastien Lifshitz.
Citation: Yolande Decarsin’s sound design in the documentary Little Girl achieves something that is almost impossible: Very gently and delicately, it takes you into the life of little Sasha and her family. You no longer feel as if you are watching something from the outside but as if you were there as the kids get ready for school, sitting with them in their garden, or joining them for lunch.
