03/06/2021 - The winner of the pan-European audience award will be unveiled during the ceremony at the European Parliament on 9 June

The run for the coveted LUX Audience Award is coming to an end. After the closing of the public Watch & Vote period on 23 May, the Members of the European Parliament can still vote for the nominated films until 8 June through a dedicated page. The first edition of the LUX Audience Award Ceremony will be held on 9 June, during the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where one of the three finalists of this year’s selection (Another Round [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Thomas Vinterberg, Collective [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Alexander Nanau and Corpus Christi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz Bielenia
interview: Jan Komasa
film profile] by Jan Komasa) will emerge as the winner, based on the highest average rating received from both the European public and the MEPs.

The ceremony will start at 12h CET in the Plenary Chamber, where the President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli will unveil the winner and present the prize to the representatives of the awarded film. As usual, the ceremony will be live-streamed on the EP’s official website, as well as on the LUX Award website and social media, and it will be followed by a press conference with MEPs and members of the film crews and Facebook live with the winner at 14h CET.

In addition to the award ceremony itself, the European Parliament has prepared a special programme of activities surrounding the event. On Tuesday 8, from 16.00 to 16.30, a streamed webinar under the theme “Protecting the right of freedom of expression and freedom of press” will take place, with the participation of Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, Chairman of the EFA Mike Downey, lead actor of Corpus Christi Bartosz Bielenia and protagonist of Collective journalist Catalin Tolontan.

From 16.40 to 17.10, another webinar will follow, focusing on “Keeping European Cinema creative and free after COVID 19.” Participants will be Chair of the Committee on Culture Sabine Verheyen, Another Round producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Collective director Alexander Nanau and Polish actor Bartosz Bielenia, and the panel will be moderated by Jim Maher.

It is now just a matter of days until we find out which film will be the 2021 LUX Audience Award laureate. In the meantime, a search tool is still available to find physical or online screenings of the nominated films across Europe.