Ten films are in the Official Selection, but only three will compete for the LUX Prize 2009.
They will be disclosed during the Venice International Film Festival in September.
The three competing films will be shown at the European Parliament from 2 to 20 November.
A vote will be cast by the 736 Members of the European Parliament to elect the winner, which will then be awarded the LUX Prize
2009 at the European Parliament on 25 November in Strasbourg.
European cinema is rich. Its wealth is multidimensional: diversity, talents and a long history
which sheds light on the melting pot of our individual and collective identities.
Since 2007, the LUX Prize is a true symbol of the support brought by the European Parliament
to the European film industry and its great, relentless creativity.
The aim of the LUX Prize is to spotlight the wealth and the diversity that characterize
European cinema by selecting films which deal, in different ways, with European issues -
especially what makes us think, divides us or brings us closer to each other.
Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. Encouraging the Circulation of European Films
«Being able to see other producers' films is a real problem in Europe. The LUX Prize is a first step
to solving it. I hope that everyone involved in distributing and screening movies throughout
Europe will grasp the significance of this.». [Luc Dardenne, winner, with his brother Jean-
Pierre, of the LUX Prize 2008 , for «Le Silence de Lorna» ]
For the European Parliament, the LUX Prize is a way to break down the language barriers
that prevent films from circulating in Europe. Much like «Auf der Anderen Seite» (2007) or
«Le Silence de Lorna» (2008), the LUX Prize 2009 winning film will benefit from the financial
support of the European Parliament:
- subtitling in the EU's 23 official languages, including the adaptation of the original
version for visually- or hearing-impaired people;
- producing, per member state, a 35 mm version or supporting the DVD release.
LUX Prize 2009 Official Selection
In 2009 again, the LUX Prize Official Selection spotlights ten films. These films have been
selected because of their quality and their contribution to the European public debate,
highlighting topics such as solidarity, immigration, justice, public freedom or fundamental
rights. Beyond the social issues it illustrates, every film becomes a window which opens up
on Europeans, their questions, their daily lives and their quest for identity.
The Ten Films in the 2009 Official Selection
35 RHUMS
Director: Claire Denis
Country: France, Germany
Year: 2008
Original language: French
LOST PERSONS AREA
Director: Caroline Strubbe
Country: Belgium, Hungary,
Netherlands, Germany, France
Year: 2009
Original language: English,
Dutch, Hungarian
ANDER
Director: Roberto Castón
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Original language: Basque,
Spanish
NORTH
Director: Rune Denstad Langlo
Country: Norway
Year: 2009
Original language: Norwegian
EASTERN PLAYS
Director: Kamen Kalev
Country: Bulgaria, Sweden
Year: 2009
Original language: Bulgarian,
Turkish, English
PANDORA'S BOX
Director: Yesim Ustaoglu
Country: Turkey, France,
Germany, Belgium
Year: 2008
Original language: Turkish
FÜR EIN AUGENBLICK
FREIHEIT
Director: Arash T. Riahi
Country: Austria, France
Year: 2008
Original language: Turkish,
English, Persian/Farsi
STURM
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
Country: Germany, Denmark,
Netherlands
Year: 2009
Original language: English,
German, Bosnian, Serbian
KATALIN VARGA
Director: Peter Strickland
Country: Romania, UK, Hungary
Year: 2009
Original language: Hungarian,
Romanian
WELCOME
Director: Philippe Lioret
Country: France
Year: 2009
Original language: French,
Kurdish, English
LUX 0 9
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Selection process
Every year, a jury determines the Official Selection for the LUX Prize. This panel includes:
producers, distributors, exhibitors, festival directors or film critics. One third of the selection
jury is renewed yearly, and its members are appointed by the European Parliament's
Committee on Culture and Education. The jury includes the previous LUX Prize winner. The
European Commission sits on this jury as an observer (MEDIA programme).
To be eligible to be part of the LUX Prize Official Selection, films must meet the following
requirements:
- Fiction or animation films;
- Minimum running time of 60 minutes;
- Illustrating or questioning the founding values of our European identity, Europe's cultural
diversity and/or bringing insights into the debate on the EU integration process;
- Produced or co-produced in countries eligible under the MEDIA 2007 programme
(European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland);
- First theatre release between 1 June 2008 and 31 May 2009.
LUX Prize 2009: Important Dates and Events
- 28 June - 5 July: Daily LUX Sessions at the Brussels European Film Festival
(5 p.m., Studio 4, Flagey)
- 6 September: Announcing films in competition at the Venice International
Film Festival
- 3 November: Opening evening ceremony
- 2-20 November: Screening of competing films at the European Parliament
in Brussels
- 24 November: Last day for the Members of the European Parliament
to vote
- 25 November: Awarding the LUX Prize 2009 at the European Parliament
in Strasbourg
Contact: Bertrand PELTIER: Tel. +32 498 98 32 37
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Press Kit: http://www.lux-prize.eu/
LUX 0 9
Annex
2009 Selection Panel Members
Mr György BÁRON, Hungary
Film critic
Mr Anthony BOBEAU, France
Journalist, Le Film Français
Mrs Sonora BROKA, Latvia
Director and programmer, International
Centre for Cinema
Mrs Kirsten DALGAARD, Denmark
Co-president of the Natfilm International
Film Festival; exhibitor and distributor
Mr Stephan DE POTTER, Belgium
Distributor, Cinéart-Cinélibre
Mr Michel DEMOPOULOS, Greece
Special advisor for fiction at ERT, public
television
Mrs Fatima DJOUMER, European Union
Administrator for International relations
and events, Europa Cinéma
Mr Michal DROBNY, Slovakia
Exhibitor and distributor, Continental
Films
Mr Jakub DUSZYŃSKI, Poland
Distributor, Gutek Films
Mrs Mercedes ECHERER, Austria
Director, Krems European Film Festival
(EU XXL Film)
Mr Denis FREYD, winner of the LUX
Prize 2008 ("Le silence de Lorna")
Producer, Archipel 35
Mrs Eve GABEREAU, United Kingdom
Co-managing director, Soda Pictures
(distribution)
Mrs Susanne HOFFMANN, Germany
General Secretary, Europa Prize
Mrs Georgette RANUCCI, Italy
Exhibitor and distributor, Lucky Red
Mrs Mira STALEVA, Bulgaria
Programmer, Sofia International Film
Festival
Mr Yvon THIEC, European Union
Delegate-General, Eurocinema
Mrs Nuria VIDAL, Spain
Film critic
Mrs Helena BRAUN, Observer
European Commission, MEDIA
Programme and Education to Media Unit
Further Information and press kit:
Charles McDonald
Office: + 44 207 736 3445
Mobile: + 44 7785 246 377
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
