The LUX Audience Film Award 2025 nominations cover a range of important themes such as women’s rights, climate change, colonialism, harassment in school, and the war in Ukraine. The European Parliament’s major visual arts prize honours three features, including an animated film and two documentaries. The shortlist for the award includes Animal by Greek director Sofia Exarchou, Dahomey by French director Mati Diop, Flow by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, Intercepted by Ukrainian-Canadian director Oksana Karpovych, and Julie Keeps Quiet by Belgian director Leonardo van Dijl. These films address societal challenges and invite viewers to see the world through diverse lenses, showcasing the rich variety of the film world.
Animal, directed by Sofia Exarchou, looks at the unseen side of the tourist entertainment industry through the daily lives routine of the people that work in it. Dahomey, directed by Mati Diop, is a documentary about the return of 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey to the Republic of Benin, nearly 130 years after they were stolen by French colonial troops. Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis, is an animated feature about a hero, Cat, who finds refuge on a boat with other animals in a post-apocalyptic setting. Intercepted, directed by Oksana Karpovych, is a documentary about the destruction caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the lives of those who resist and rebuild the country. Julie Keeps Quiet, directed by Leonardo van Dijl, is a drama about a star tennis player whose life is disrupted when her coach falls under investigation for abusing his position.
The organizers of the LUX Audience Film Award aim to strengthen ties between politics and citizens by inviting European audiences to attend film screenings, engage in debates, and cast their votes online from September 18 until April 2025. Votes from the audience and a selected group of EU lawmakers will determine the winner, to be revealed in a ceremony in the European Parliament in Brussels in April 2025. The winner of the 2024 edition was “The Teachers’ Lounge” by German director Ilker Çatak, which tells the story of a teacher tasked with finding out which of her students is responsible for a series of thefts. The award was created in 2020 and is now complemented by the Young Talent Programme, launched to engage young cinema professionals in the promotion of European values and the LUX Audience Film Award project.
The nominees for the LUX Audience Film Award 2025 bring attention to important societal issues such as the unseen side of the tourist entertainment industry, the return of stolen treasures, life in a post-apocalyptic setting, the destruction caused by war, and the consequences of abuse of power. These films invite viewers to reflect on these topics and consider the complexities of the world we live in. Through screenings, debates, and voting, the award seeks to involve audiences in the discussion of European values and promote engagement with the film industry. The LUX Audience Film Award represents a platform for dialogue and reflection on the challenges and hopes of society, as portrayed through the medium of cinema.
