Lux Award Finalists 2024: The European Parliament named the five 2024 Lux Award Venice Film Festival finalists. A jury of European film experts selected the films for their creative merit and cultural diversity. European cinemagoers and MPs will vote 50% each to pick the winner. March 2024 is the voting deadline. Nicolas Philibert’s documentary “On the Adamant,” about a Parisian mental health facility on a barge on the Seine, tops the list. The facility enables patients to express themselves artistically. This film won the Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear for best film.
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood,” directed by Anna Hints, is another notable finalist. The film follows a group of ladies who reveal their secrets in a smoke sauna. The film won the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Documentary Directing Award and is Estonia’s 2024 Oscar entry for best international feature. Adding “20,000 Species of Bees,” directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. This Berlin film earned the Silver Bear for Best Performance for Sofía Otero’s portrayal of Lucía, an eight-year-old girl with gender dysmorphia.
Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves” is also eligible. His laconic storytelling received the Cannes Picture Festival Jury Prize for Kaurismäki’s picture. A love narrative in the master’s manner, the film. Ilker Çatak’s “The Teachers’ Lounge,” which premiered in Berlin, rounds out the top five. The film is Germany’s 2024 Oscar entry for best international feature.
The 2007 Lux Award promotes European films that showcase the continent’s cultural variety. The prize also honors films that promote EU principles, including human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, tolerance, justice, and solidarity. The finalists’ stories cover mental health, women’s empowerment, gender identity, and romance. These films have won awards at Berlin, Cannes, and Sundance, boosting their potential impact on audiences and the cinema industry.
The European public and legislators will decide. This dual-voting approach intends to involve a wide range of EU citizens in the selection process, reinforcing its democratic values. The winner will be recognized and distributed, helping spread these essential stories. Filmmakers have used the Lux Award to get visibility and notoriety to participate in international events like the Oscars. This year’s shortlist of excellent films promises to stir discussions on important problems while honoring European cinema’s variety and skill.
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