The European Film Academy has changed its voting system to allow documentaries and animated films to be eligible to compete for Best European Film, the European Film Awards’ top honor.
The changes announced on Tuesday will come into effect immediately starting from the 37th European Film Awards on December 7 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
“The aim of this change is to better reflect the fact that documentaries and animated features are an important part of European film culture, thereby significantly enhancing its diversity,” the Academy said in a statement. “Both documentaries and animated films are There are many genres, storytelling traditions and narrative formats to suit any audience.”
Feature-length documentaries and animated films will be eligible to compete in their respective categories European Documentary and European Animated Feature and Best European Film.
Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO of the European Film Institute, said: “The decision of the European Film Institute Board of Directors reflects the long-standing desire of its members to give all feature films a fairer and more equal chance to compete for this award. Recognition. “This decision reflects the changing view of our industry on the value of all cinema. I am proud and grateful that the European Film Institute has taken this step in its journey to increase transparency and equality for all European film workers and Accepted this change.
Films that could benefit from the rule change include Mati Diop’s Berlinale-winning documentary dahomey;Political document no other landanother Berlinale winner, focusing on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank; Kinzi Zirbalodis’ animated feature flowAnnecy and Latvia are officially shortlisted as winners of the 2025 Academy Awards; and barbarianthe latest claymation feature from Oscar-nominated Swiss director Claude Barras (My zucchini life).
