About us
Inspired by a successfully and passionately run model in Québec, the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois (PCCQ), Filmfest Hamburg and the European Film Academy launched in 2016 the European University Film Award (EUFA) - presented and voted by European university students. The aim of this initiative is to involve a younger audience, to spread the "European idea" and to transport the spirit of European cinema to an audience of university students. It shall also support film dissemination, film education and the culture of debating. In 2019 it became an official category of the European Film Awards.
„In times of growing nationalism in Europe and elsewhere we had the idea to look for a common element to foster a European understanding, to search for a common European identity defined by culture, especially by film.“
Since its First Edition in 2016 the number of participating countries grew constantly, starting from 13 universities from 13 different European countries in the first year and now seeing 23 universities from 23 countries in 2024: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Based on the selection for the European Film Award 2024 five films from five European countries are nominated for the 9th European University Film Award and will be announced on October 23. These five films will be viewed and discussed in the respective university classes and each institution selects its favourite film. One student representative for each of the 23 universities will participate in a a three-day deliberation meeting in Hamburg in December 2024. During these three days the students discuss all films together, exchange arguments and vote for the winner. The winner will be announced on December 6 during this year's European Film Awards Weekend in Lucerne. The 9th European University Film Award is made possible with the support of the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, the Claussen-Simon Foundation, the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. and Creative Europe Desk Hamburg.