European Film Academy to Include Documentaries and Animated Features in Running for Top Prize

The European Film Academy has announced that documentaries and animated features will now be considered for the European Film prize at its annual awards.

The category had previously only included fiction films. “The aim of this change is to better reflect the fact that documentaries and animated feature films are an essential part of European cinema culture, adding much to its great diversity,” a press release states. “Both documentary and animated films come in a plethora of genres, storytelling traditions and narrative forms, for any audience.”

The change is effective starting this year. The 37th European Film Awards are set to take place on Dec. 7 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

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“Simply said, the best film of Europe can from now onwards also be a feature-length documentary film or animated feature film, and not only a fiction film,” European Film Academy CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol said in a statement. “The decision of the Board of the European Film Academy reflects a long wish from members to a fairer and more equal chance for all feature-length films to compete for this recognition. The decision reflects a changing perception in our industry of the value of all films made. I’m proud and grateful that the European Film Academy, in a process of increasing transparency and equality for all who work in European cinema, has taken this step and embraces this change.”

In August, the Academy revealed the first selection of films that are eligible for its top prize. This included Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” “Armand” by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Matthias Glasner’s “Dying” and Jaione Camborda’s “The Rye Horn.”

The full selection is presented in three stages — so don’t be surprised if some documentary and animated films pop up in forthcoming announcements.