Irish Abroad: The Lobster grabs 5 nominations at the 28th European Film Awards

Irish co-production The Lobster, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos has landed 5 nominations at this year’s European Film Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Colin Farrell, Best Screenplay and a previously announced technical win for costume design. This follows last week’s announcement the the film topped the nominations for British Independent Film Awards with an incredible seven nominations in total.

The 28th European Film Awards will be held on 12 December in Berlin where more than 3,000 EFA members will vote on the winners.
Following rave reviews, The Lobster is playing in Irish & UK Cinemas where it has grossed over £1 million to date, deemed a break out figure for any independent film. The film is also currently on release in France, Benelux, Australia and Greece where it is returning strong box office figures. It will be released across the globe over the coming months.

The Lobster is a love story set in the near future where single people, according to the rules of The City, are arrested and transferred to The Hotel.  There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days.  If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into The Woods.  A desperate Man escapes from The Hotel to The Woods where The Loners live and falls in love, although it is against their rules.

The Lobster is written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou and produced by Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Ceci Dempsey and Yorgos Lanthimos. Executive Producers are Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross and Sam Lavender.

The Lobster is an Element Pictures, Scarlet Films, Faliro House, Haut et Court, Lemming Film co-production in association with Limp and financiers include the film from the Irish Film Board.

The full list of nominations is as follows:

Best European Film
The Lobster
Mustang
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflection on Existence
Rams
Victoria
Youth

Best European Director
Malgorzata Szumowska, Body
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster
Nanni Moretti, Mia Madre
Roy Andersson, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflection on Existence
Sebastian Schipper, Victoria
Paolo Sorrentino, Youth

Best European Actor
Michael Caine, Youth
Tom Courtenay, 45 Years
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Christian Friedel, 13 Minutes
Vincent Lindon, The Measure of a Man

Best European Actress
Margherita Buy, Mia Madre
Laia Costa, Victoria
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Rachel Weisz, Youth

Best European Screenwriter
Radu Jude and Florin Lazarescu, Aferim!
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Andrew Haigh, 45 Years
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Roy Andersson, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflection on Existence
Paolo Sorrentino, Youth

Best European Documentary
Amy
Dancing with Maria
The Look of Silence
A Syrian Love Story
Toto and His Sisters

Best European Animated Feature
Adama
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Song of the Sea

Best European Comedy
The Belier Family
The Brand New Testament
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Fipresci Prize – Best European Discovery
Goodnight Mommy
Limbo
Mustang
Slow West
Summers Downstairs

Best European Short
Dissonance
E.T.E.R.N.I.T.
Field Study
Kung Fury
Listen
Our Body
Over
Picnic
The Runner
Smile, and the World Will Smile Back
Son of the Wolf
Symbolic Threats
This Place We Call Our Home
The Translator
Washingtonia

TECHNICAL WINNERS (previously announced)

Best European Cinematographer
Martin Gschlacht, Goodnight Mommy

Best European Editor
Jacek Drosio, Body

Best European Composer
Cat’s Eyes, The Duke of Burgundy

Best European Production Designer
Sylvie Olive, The Brand New Testament

Best European Costume Designer
Sarah Blenkinsop, The Lobster

Best European Sound Designer
Vasco Pimentel and Miguel Martins, Arabian Nights