Spanish cinema Sirat, directed by Oliver Laxe, received four nominations for the next edition of the European Film Awards. The announcement of the list of possible winners took place this Tuesday at the Real Alcázar in Seville, a few days after the conclusion of the Seville European Film Festival. The film received nominations in the categories of best film, director, actor (Sergi López) and screenplay. In the main category GentlemanTOT will be accompanied, among others, by Lonely afternoonsby Albert Serra, also nominated for best documentary, and Olivia and the invisible earthquake, by Irene Iborra Rizzo, also nominated to be crowned best animated feature film. The gala will take place on January 17, 2026 in Berlin.
The award for best film, in addition to the three Spanish films, includes among the candidates Arch, of Ugo Bienvenu, dog of Godby Raitis Abel, River or death! by Igor Bezinovic, It was just an accidentby Jafar Panahi little Amelie, by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, Riefenstahl, by Andrés Veiel, sentimental value, by Joachim Trier ―the only other, together with Sirat, with four candidates―, Songs of the slow burning earthby Olha Zhurba The sound of the fallby Mascha Schilinski Tales from the magic garden, by David Súkup, Patrik Pa, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec, The voice of Hind Rajab, by Kaouther Ben Hania and Con Hasan in Gaza, by Kamal Aljafari.
Yorgos Lanthimos, by Bugonia, The award for best director is contested by Laxe, Trier, Schilinski and Panahi. The best actress will be Leonie Benesch (Late shift), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (duse), Léa Drucker (File 137), Vicky Krieps (Love me, tend) and Renate Reinsve (sentimental value). López’s rival for the best actor award will be Mads Mikkelsen (The Last Viking), Toni Servillo (Grace), Stellan Skarsgard (sentimental value) and Idan Weiss (Franz). According to a note from the European Film Academy, the rest of the nominations will be announced next week.
The event, organized by the European Film Academy, represents for Seville the recovery of an event lost years ago and will be repeated in the city every two years. In this sense, the delegate for Tourism and Culture of the Municipality of Seville, Angie Moreno, underlined the importance of this event for the city. “Recovering this nomination announcement is an achievement that strengthens our position as a cultural reference and demonstrates the trust that the European Film Academy places in our city,” he underlined.
