Short film nominations set for 2016 European Film Awards

The full list of all 15 films that will vie for the European Film Award for Best Short Film has now been set and - as always – it is an eclectic affair with a selection of titles representing all disciplines across the short film world. With the nominees coming from 15 festivals from across Europe – amongst them Tampere, Venice and Encounters – it’s hard to pick a clear favourite from the nominees.

Amongst them are Dan Mulloy’s brilliantly conceived Home (which Cineuropa Shorts reviewed HERE) and – Berlin EFA nominee – A Man Returned (Dir. Mahdi Fliefel, UK/Libya/Denmark/Netherlands, 2015) an affecting documentary which, like Home, examines refugees and immigration.

There are more powerful documentaries including the stunning 9 Days – From My Window In Aleppo (Dirs: Issa Touma, Thomas Vroege & Floor van der Meulen, Netherlands, 2015), a raw and up-close account of the conflict in Syria, and the more gentle I’m Not From Here (Dirs: Maite Alberdi & Giedrė Žickytė, Denmark/Chile/Lithuania, 2015), the story of a Josebe, a 80 years old Basque woman living with other elderly people in a residence in Santiago, Chile. Her fading memory means that everyday feels like her first with the realisation that she is not in in her home country anymore.

More experimental fare is on offer with the likes of the playful and allegorical 90 Degrees North (Dir. Detsky Graffam, Germany, 2015), a film about a man who find himself – almost literally – stuck in the middle of the road, while Konstantina Kotzamani’s Limbo is a wonderful follow up to her acclaimed film Washingtonia.

Animation is also well represented with the likes of Edmond (Dir. Nina Gantz, UK 2015), the multi-award winning UK animation and the recent Venice premiered Amalimbo (Dir. Juan Pablo Libossart, Sweden/Estonia, 2016).

And there is a chance for some comedy with Even Hafnor’s and  wonderfully observed and Roy Andersson-esque Small Talk (Dirs. Even Hafnor & Lisa Brooke Hansen, Norway, 2015) alongside the well-formed tale of two neighbours living in a cramped building The Wall (Dir. Samuel Lampaert, Belgium, 2015).

The 29th European Film Awards will take place 10 December 2016 in Wroclaw, Poland

The full list of nominees is:

Nomination from Encounters, Bristol, UK
9 DAYS - FROM MY WINDOW IN ALEPPO (Dir. Issa Touma, Thomas Vroege & Floor van der Meulen, Netherlands, 2015)

Nomination from Cork Film Festival, Ireland
90 DEGREES NORTH [90 GRAD NORD] (Dir.  Detsky Graffam, Germany, 2015)

Nomination from Berlin Film Festival, Germany
A MAN RETURNED (Dir. Mahdi Fliefel, UK/Libya/Denmark/Netherlands, 2015) 

Nomination from Venice Film Festival, Italy
AMALIMBO  (Dir. Juan Pablo Libossart, Sweden/Estonia, 2016).

Nomination from Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden
EDMOND (Dir. Nina Gantz, UK 2015),

Nomination from Vila do Conde, Portugal
HOME (Dir. Daniel Mulloy, Kosovo/UK 2016)

Nomination from Krakow Film Festival, Poland
I'M NOT FROM HERE [YO NO SOY DE AQUÍ] (Dirs: Maite Alberdi & Giedrė Žickytė, Denmark/Chile/Lithuania, 2015)

Nomination from Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, France
IN THE DISTANCE (Dir. Florian Grolig, Germany, 2014)

Nomination from Sarajevo Film Festival, Bosnia
LIMBO (Dir. Konstantina Kotzamani, France/Greece, 2016)

Nomination Drama Film Festival, Greece
SHOOTING STAR [ПАДАЩА ЗВЕЗДА (PADASHTA ZVEZDA)] (Dir. Lyubo Yonchev, Bulgaria/Italy, 2015)

Nomination from Tampere Film Festival, Finland
SMALL TALK (Dirs. Even Hafnor & Lisa Brooke Hansen, Norway, 2015)

Nomination from Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland
THE FULLNESS OF TIME (ROMANCE) [L'IMMENSE RETOUR (ROMANCE)] (Dir. Manon Coubia, Belgium/France, 2016)

Nomination from Valladolid Film Festival, Spain
THE GOODBYE [EL ADIÓS] (Dir. Clara Roquet, Spain, 2015)

Nomination from Film Festival Gent, Belgium
THE WALL [LE MUR] (Dir. Samuel Lampaert, Belgium, 2015)

Nomination from Rotterdam Film Festival, The Netherlands
WE ALL LOVE THE SEA SHORE [TOUT LE MONDE AIME LA BORD DE LA MER] (Dir. Keina Espiñeira, Spain, 2016)