The three finalists will travel the continent, before the award is given out at the European Parliament on 14 November
Today, at the Giornate degli Autori press conference, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, and Coordinator of the Committee on Culture and Education Silvia Costa, announced the three films in competition for the 2018 LUX Prize. Styx by Wolfgang Fischer (Germany/Austria), The Other Side of Everything by Mila Turajlić(Serbia/France/Qatar) and Woman at War by Benedikt Erlingsson (Iceland/France/Ukraine) have been chosen from the 10-title Official Selection (read the news here).
The three films – all of which coincidentally put female characters in the spotlight – and the topical themes that they address are a call to action in these difficult times. Styx is an odyssey of a solitary woman into the blue of the ocean, tackling the vital challenge of immigration and refugees. The Other Side of Everything marks the second time in LUX Prize history that a documentary features among the three finalists and is a tender portrayal of a woman, whose story tells the history of her country and Europe as a whole, from a tumultuous political past to the dangers of nationalism. While Woman at War is an energetic, environmental and feminist saga, a call for civil resistance to fight for and save nature from industrial greed and hegemony.
The announcement followed the screening at Casa del Cinema in Rome of last year’s LUX Prize winner, Sámi Bloodby Amanda Kernell. The film, which was also awarded the Audience Mention at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival recently (read the news here), was introduced to audiences by Silvia Costa.
The three films will become the core of the 2018 LUX Film Days in autumn and will be screened in more than 50 cities and festivals across 28 European countries. With each film subtitled in the 24 official languages of the European Union, every year an even wider audience will be able to discover these films and identify with the topics they address. This year’s LUX Film Days will again be organised by the European Parliament Liaison Offices, and thanks to the cooperation with Creative Europe, audiences throughout Europe can enjoy the unique cinematic events of simultaneous screenings: films will be screened in several theatres at the same time, connecting audiences via live interactive discussions with filmmakers.
The winning film, voted for by the Members of the European Parliament, will be further adapted for those with visual and hearing impairments. The winner – which will be voted for by members of the European Parliament and announced on 14 November in Strasbourg – will also receive promotional support during its international release.
Lastly, this year’s participants of the 28 Times Cinema initiative (read the news here) will be attending LUX Prize events during the Giornate degli Autori at Venice, taking part in workshops and debates, before becoming the LUX Ambassadors to present the 7th edition of the LUX Film Days in their respective countries.
