European Film Awards. You've Always Wanted to Visit Malta, Right?
Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 11:23AM Each year the European Film Awards move to a different location and this year for their 25th anniversary they'll be in Malta. If you vote on their Audience Award prize starting September 1st (today!) you become eligible to win a trip to the ceremony on December 1st (today in 3 months!). Voting closes at the end of October.
The audience prize nominees, an eclectic bunch, are...
- THE ARTIST (france -- last year's best picture winner)
- BARBARA (germany -- Germany's official submission for the upcoming Oscars)
- THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (uk)
- CAESAR MUST DIE (italy)
- HASTA LA VISTA/COME AS YOU ARE (belgium)
- HEADHUNTERS (norway)
- IN DARKNESS (poland - oscar foreign film nominee 2011)
- INTOUCHABLES (france)
- THE IRON LADY (uk - oscar best actress winner)
- SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (uk)
- SHAME (uk)
- TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (france, uk, germany)
I'm baffled about the inclusion of The Iron Lady as it certainly doesn't fit any "crowd pleaser" definition previously known to man. Unless by crowd you mean the entire population of StreepStanistan. Obviously in any "people's choice" situation the film that has been the most widely seen has the edge, so this prize is probably going to The Intouchables ($363 million globally) given its global phenom status. The Artist ($133 million globally), and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($131 million globally) look like the only possible spoilers.
Lest you dismiss the European Film Awards outright through headscratching over this particular list, please to remember that it's only their audience prize. Their regular nominations don't arrive until early November. Last year they were the only awards body to give the great Melancholia multiple statues.
In related Ocean-Crossing news, The Oscar Foreign Film Submission Charts are now up to detail the official Academy submissions as well as rumors of which films might compete:
- ALBANIA thru ISRAEL - one official submission thus far, one official finalist list, a few rumors
- ITALY thru VIETNAM - one official submission thus far, some rumors
Reader Comments (12)
Lol @ StreepStanistan. I wonder what that accent would sound like...
Marek -- it would be a fascinating accent! ha. part danish, part british, part midwest flat, part polish... but always always breathy, high pitched, and mostly wonderful.
I just voted for Shame with great pleasure.
I really hope they don't give Best Actress to Meryl next year although it's quite possible. Kristin, Isabelle, Penélope go get it!
Meryl is not european so she can't contend for the best actress prize.
Cole -- Do you mean that Kirsten Dunst is Belgian?
No Almodovar. No Lanthimos. No Winding Refn. I can wait till my father, husband, and immature sibling return with something I want to watch.
Peggy Sue - Funny, but No, Kirsten Dunst has the dual nationality: american and german. This is the reason why she was nominated last year.
Voted for Shame!
Even as a resident of Streepstanistan, the nomination baffles me. But in all fairness, The Iron Lady is better than Headhunters. Streep could have saved that one!
At the moment, I'd vote for Shame, though I can't wait to see Barbara.
Of the seven that I've seen, The Iron Lady is unfortunately only the second worst. Of course, it's the wildly popular Intouchables that even more terrible. I really hope the French don't submit it for the Oscars this year.
Voted for UNTOUCHABLES...I wonder whether it will appear also among the "regular" categories
The Intouchables has made $363 million globally???? YOWZAS! I had no idea it was that successful! Good for it!
Nathaniel, it's not official yet, but I think you should include Pablo Larrain's "No" as the Chilean likely submission. It got raves at Cannes and is showing in Telluride and the NYFF. I think it's definitely going to be the country's submission (there's nothing else as critically acclaimed so far) and it has gotten more exposure than any other Chilean film in years, maybe ever. I think it may very well end up being the country's first nod.