The European Film Academy and EFA Productions have announced the titles of the 50 films on this year’s EFA Feature Film Selection, the list of feature fiction films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards 2016. Ireland is represented on the list by Rebecca Daly’s Mammal and Lenny Abrahamson Academy Award-winning Room.
The second feature from Rebecca Daly (The Other Side of Sleep), Mammal is a tightly focused exploration of the troubling bond formed between two damaged people. Margaret (Rachel Griffiths) lives a determinedly quiet life in Dublin with little social life save for solitary trips to the local swimming pool. Her self-imposed isolation ends when she receives a phone call from ex-husband Matt (Michael McElhattan) telling her the son she abandoned in infancy, now a teenager, has gone missing, news which coincides with her decision to give shelter to Joe (Barry Keoghan), a homeless boy she finds beaten up outside her house. As Margaret’s relationship with Joe grows more intimate it becomes uncertain whether her attraction to the boy is that of a surrogate son or a potential lover. Written by Rebecca Daly and Glenn Montgomery, the film is produced by Macdara Kelleher for Fastnet Films (Strangerland, Kisses, The Other Side of Sleep) with co-producers Calach Films in Luxembourg and Rinkel Film in The Netherlands. The film was funded by Bord Scannán na hEireann / the Irish Film Board (IFB), Luxembourg Film Fund, BAI, TV3, the Dutch Film Fund and the Dutch Production incentive.
Room stars Brie Larson (Short Term 12, The Spectacular Now), Jacob Tremblay (The Smurfs 2, Somnia), Joan Allen (The Bourne Supremacy, Nixon) and William H. Macy (Shameless, Magnolia). Emma Donoghue adapted the screenplay from her book of teh same name. Told through the eyes of five-year-old-Jack (Tremblay), Room is a thrilling and emotional tale that celebrates the resilience and power of the human spirit. To Jack, Room is the world…. It’s where he was born, it’s where he and his Ma (Larson) eat and sleep and play and learn. But while it’s home to Jack, to Ma it’s a prison. Through her fierce love for her son, Ma has managed to create a childhood for him in their ten-by-ten-foot space. But as Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s own desperation – she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely. Element Pictures’ Ed Guiney (The Lobster, Frank, What Richard Did) produced Room with David Gross (What If, Goon). Executive producers are Andrew Lowe (The Lobster, Frank, The Wind that Shakes the Barley) for Element Pictures and Jeff Arkuss (What If) and Jesse Shapira (What If, Goon) for No Trace Camping. Emma Donoghue, Rose Garnett (Film 4), Tessa Ross (Film 4), and David Kosse (Film 4) also serve as executive producers. Irish finance for the film came from the Irish Film Board.
The list contains films from 33 European countries. The selection process works like this; each of the 20 countries with the most EFA Members (which includes Ireland) picks one film that is automatically nominated, the other 30 are selected by a committee consisting of EFA Board Members and invited experts Péter Bognár (Hungary), Dave Calhoun (UK), Paz Lazaro Barquilla (Spain), Christophe Leparc (France) and Alik Shpilyuk (Ukraine).
The next step sees the 3,000 members of the European Film Academy vote for the nominations in the categories European Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenwriter. The nominations will then be announced on November 5th at the Seville European Film Festival in Spain. In addition a 7-member jury will decide on the awards recipients in the categories European Cinematographer, Editor, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Hair & Make-up Artist, Composer and Sound Designer.
Last week the EFA announced the the documentary shortlist, which included Irish co-production The Land of the Enlightened. Last year was a successful one for Irish film, with Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea winning Best Animated Feature, and Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou winning Best Screnwriter and Sarah Blenkinsop winning Best Costume Designer for Irish co-production The Lobster.
The 29th European Film Awards will take place on 10 December in Wroclaw, European Capital of Culture 2016.
EFA SELECTION 2016
24 WEEKS 24 WOCHEN Germany 102 min. DIRECTED BY: Anne Zohra Berrached WRITTEN BY: Carl Gerber & Anne Zohra Berrached PRODUCED BY: Melanie Berke, Tobias Büchner & Thomas Kufus |
A MAN CALLED OVE EN MAN SOM HETER OVE Sweden, Norway 100 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Hannes Holm PRODUCED BY: Annica Bellander Rune & Nicklas Wikström Nicastro |
A WAR KRIGEN Denmark 115 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Tobias Lindholm PRODUCED BY: René Ezra & Tomas Radoor |
BEING 17 QUAND ON A 17 ANS France 114 min. DIRECTED BY: André Téchiné WRITTEN BY: André Téchiné & Céline Sciamma PRODUCED BY: Olivier Delbosc & Marc Missonier |
BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS ???? ????? ??????? (ME’EVER LAHARIM VEHAGVAOT) Israel, Germany, Belgium 92 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Eran Kolirin PRODUCED BY: Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yochanan Kredo, Yossi Uzrad, Lisa Shiloach Uzrad, Guy Jacoel, Diana Elbaum, Sébastien Delloye, Michael Weber & Viola Fügen |
CHEVALIER Greece, Germany 99 min. DIRECTED BY: Athina Rachel Tsangari WRITTEN BY: Efthimis Filippou & Athina Rachel Tsangari PRODUCED BY: Maria Hatzakou, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos & Athina Rachel Tsangari |
DAWN AUSMA Latvia, Poland, Estonia 96 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Laila Pakalni?a PRODUCED BY: Laila Pakalni?a, Kaspar Kallas & Malgorzata Staron |
DEATH IN SARAJEVO SMRT U SARAJEVU France, Bosnia & Herzegovina 85 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Danis Tanovic PRODUCED BY: Amra Baksic Camo & Francois Margolin |
DON’T BE BAD NON ESSERE CATTIVO Italy 102 min. DIRECTED BY: Claudio Caligari WRITTEN BY: Claudio Caligari, Francesca Serafini & Giordano Meacci PRODUCED BY: Paolo Bogna, Simone Isola & Valerio Mastandrea |
ELLE France, Germany 130 min. DIRECTED BY: Paul Verhoeven WRITTEN BY: David Birke PRODUCED BY: Saïd Ben Saïd |
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS UK 110 min. DIRECTED BY: Stephen Frears WRITTEN BY: Nicholas Martin PRODUCED BY: Michael Kuhn |
FRENZY ABLUKA Turkey, France, Qatar 119 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Emin Alper PRODUCED BY: Nadir Öperli, Enis Köstepen & Cem Doruk |
GRADUATION BACALAUREAT Romania, France, Belgium 128 min. WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY: Cristian Mungiu |
I, DANIEL BLAKE UK, France 97 min. DIRECTED BY: Ken Loach WRITTEN BY: Paul Laverty PRODUCED BY: Rebecca O’Brien |
I, OLGA HEPNAROVA JÁ, OLGA HEPNAROVÁ Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, France 105 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Tomáš Weinreb & Petr Kazda PRODUCED BY: Vojt?ch Fri?, Tomáš Weinreb, Petr Kazda, Marcin Kurek, Sylwester Banaszkiewicz, Marian Urban & Guillaume de Seille |
JULIETA Spain 96 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Pedro Almodóvar PRODUCED BY: Agustín Almodóvar |
KILLS ON WHEELS TISZTA SZÍVVEL Hungary 105 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Attila Till PRODUCED BY: Judit Stalter |
KÖPEK Switzerland 98 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Esen I?ik PRODUCED BY: Brigitte Hofer & Cornelia Seitler |
LAND OF MINE UNDER SANDET Denmark, Germany 97 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Martin Zandvliet PRODUCED BY: Mikael Rieks & Malte Grunert |
LETTERS FROM WAR CARTAS DA GUERRA Portugal 105 min. DIRECTED BY: Ivo M. Ferreira WRITTEN BY: Edgar Medina & Ivo M. Ferreira PRODUCED BY: Luís Urbano & Sandro Aguilar |
LIKE CRAZY LA PAZZA GIOIA Italy, France 118 min. DIRECTED BY: Paolo Virzì WRITTEN BY: Paolo Virzì & Francesca Archibugi PRODUCED BY: Marco Belardi |
LOST IN MUNICH ZTRACENI V MNICHOV? Czech Republic 105 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Petr Zelenka PRODUCED BY: David Ond?í?ek |
MAMMAL Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands 96 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Rebecca Daly PRODUCED BY: Macdara Kelleher, Conor Barry, Jesus Gonzalez, Gilles Chanial & Reinier Selen |
MIMOSAS Spain, Morocco, France, Qatar 96 min. DIRECTED BY: Oliver Laxe WRITTEN BY: Oliver Laxe & Santiago Fillol PRODUCED BY: Felipe Lage Coro, Lamia Chraibi & Nadia Turincev |
ON THE OTHER SIDE S ONE STRANE Croatia, Serbia 85 min.DIRECTED BY: Zrinko Ogresta WRITTEN BY: Mate Matiši? & Zrinko Ogresta PRODUCED BY: Ivan Malo?a |
ONE OF US EINER VON UNS Austria 86 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Stephan Richter PRODUCED BY: Arash T. Riahi & Karin C. Berger |
PERFECT STRANGERS PERFETTI SCONOSCIUTI Italy 90 min. DIRECTED BY: Paolo Genovese WRITTEN BY: Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paolo Genovese, Paola Mammini & Rolando Ravello PRODUCED BY: Giampaolo Letta & Marco Belardi |
PYROMANIAC PYROMANEN Norway, Sweden, Germany 96 min. DIRECTED BY: Erik Skjoldbjaerg WRITTEN BY: Bjørn Olaf Johannessen PRODUCED BY: Edward Dreyer & Aage Aaberge |
RAUF Turkey 94 min. DIRECTED BY: Bar?? Kaya & Soner Caner WRITTEN BY: Soner Caner PRODUCED BY: Kaz?m U?ur K?z?laslan |
ROOM Ireland, Canada 118 min. DIRECTED BY: Lenny Abrahamson WRITTEN BY: Emma Donoghue PRODUCED BY: Ed Guiney & David Gross |
SIERANEVADA Romania, France 173 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Cristi Puiu PRODUCED BY: Anca Puiu |
SONG OF SONGS PESN PESNEY Ukraine 76 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Eva Neymann PRODUCED BY: Alexander Tkachenko |
SPARROWS ÞRESTIR Iceland, Denmark, Croatia 99 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Rúnar Rúnarsson PRODUCED BY: Mikkel Jersin, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Birgitte Hald, Igor A. Nola & Lilja Snorradóttir |
STRANGE HEAVEN OBCE NIEBO Poland, Sweden 107 min. DIRECTED BY: Dariusz Gajewski WRITTEN BY: Dariusz Gajewski & Micha? Godzic PRODUCED BY: Kuba Kosma & Dariusz Gajewski |
SUFFRAGETTE UK 106 min. DIRECTED BY: Sarah Gavron WRITTEN BY: Abi Morgan PRODUCED BY: Faye Ward |
SUNTAN Greece, Germany 104 min. DIRECTED BY: Argyris Papadimitropoulos WRITTEN BY: Argyris Papadimitropoulos & Syllas Tzoumerkas PRODUCED BY: Phaedra Vokali & Argyris Papadimitropoulos |
THE ARDENNES D’ ARDENNEN Belgium, Netherlands 90 min.DIRECTED BY: Robin Pront WRITTEN BY: Jeroen Perceval PRODUCED BY: Bart Van Langendonck |
THE COMMUNE KOLLEKTIVET Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands 111 min. DIRECTED BY: Thomas Vinterberg WRITTEN BY: Thomas Vinterberg & Tobias Lindholm PRODUCED BY: Sisse Graum Jørgensen & Morten Kaufmann |
THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI HYMYILEVÄ MIES Finland, Germany, Sweden 94 min. DIRECTED BY: Juho Kuosmanen WRITTEN BY: Mikko Myllylahti & Juho Kuosmanen PRODUCED BY: Jussi Rantamäki |
THE LURE CÓRKI DANCINGU Poland 92 min. DIRECTED BY: Agnieszka Smoczy?ska WRITTEN BY: Robert Bolesto PRODUCED BY: W?odzimierz Niderhaus |
THE OLIVE TREE EL OLIVO Spain, Germany 98 min. DIRECTED BY: Iciar Bollain WRITTEN BY: Paul Laverty PRODUCED BY: Juan Gordon |
THE PARADISE SUITE Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria 123 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Joost Van Ginkel PRODUCED BY: Ellen Havenith & Jeroen Beker |
THE PEOPLE VS. FRITZ BAUER DER STAAT GEGEN FRITZ BAUER Germany 105 min. DIRECTED BY: Lars Kraume WRITTEN BY: Oliver Guez & Lars Kraume PRODUCED BY: Thomas Kufus |
THE STUDENT ?????? (UCHENIK) Russian Federation 119 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Kirill Serebrennikov PRODUCED BY: Ilya Stewart |
THE UNKNOWN GIRL LA FILLE INCONNUE Belgium, France 113 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne PRODUCED BY: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne & Denis Freyd |
THINGS TO COME L’AVENIR France, Germany 100 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Mia Hansen-Løve PRODUCED BY: Charles Gillibert |
TIKKUN Israel 120 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Avishai Sivan PRODUCED BY: Ronen Ben Tal, Avishai Sivan, Moshe Edery & Leon Edery |
TONI ERDMANN Germany, Austria 162 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Maren Ade PRODUCED BY: Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach, Maren Ade & Michel Merkt |
TRUMAN Spain, Argentina 108 min. DIRECTED BY: Cesc Gay WRITTEN BY: Cesc Gay & Tomás Aragay PRODUCED BY: Marta Esteban & Diego Dubcovsky |
UNITED STATES OF LOVE ZJEDNOCZONE STANY MI?O?CI Poland, Sweden 104 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Tomasz Wasilewski PRODUCED BY: Piotr Kobus & Agnieszka Drewno |