6th European University Film Award
In 2016 Filmfest Hamburg and the European Film Academy launched the European University Film Award (EUFA) which is 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. The discussions within the local universities and during the debate in Hamburg are about fostering a common understanding, articulating values and ideas, searching for a way to understand this world and each other and overcoming national, social and stereotype marks.
In 2019 it became an official category of the European Film Awards.
Starting off with 13 universities from 13 countries in first edition, the 6th edition saw 26 universities and 26 countries:
- Austria | Vienna: University of Vienna
- Belgium | Antwerp: University of Antwerp
- Czech Republic | Prague: Charles University
- Denmark | Aarhus: Aarhus University
- Finland | Oulu: University of Oulu
- France | Paris : Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3
- Germany | Potsdam: Filmuniversität Babelsberg 'Konrad Wolf'
- Greece | Mytilini (Lesbos): University of the Aegean
- Hungary | Budapest: Pázmány Péter Catholic University
- Iceland | Reykjavik: University of Iceland
- Ireland | Cork: University College Cork
- Israel | Tel Aviv: Steve Tisch School of Cinema and Television Studies at Tel-Aviv University
- Italy | Udine: University of Udine
- Kosovo | AAB University
- Latvia | Riga: Latvian Academy of Culture
- Lithuania | Vilnius: Vilnius University
- Netherlands | Utrecht: Utrecht University
- Poland | Lodz: University of Lodz
- Portugal | Covilhã: University of Beira Interior
- Romania | Cluj: Sapientia University/Cluj-Napoca
- Serbia | Belgrade: University of Arts in Belgrade
- Spain | Bilbao: University of the Basque Country/Bilbao
- Sweden | Växjö: Linnaeus University
- Switzerland | Lausanne: Université de Lausanne
- Turkey | Istanbul: Kadir Has University
- United Kingdom | Liverpool: John Moores University
Based on the lists of 53 feature films and 15 documentaries from the European Film Award Selections 2021, five films were nominated for the 6th European University Film Award.
- APPLES (MILA) by Christos Nikou. Greece, Poland, Slovenia. Fiction
- FLEE (FLUGT) by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway. Animated Documentary
- GREAT FREEDOM (GROßE FREIHEIT) by Sebastian Meise. Austria, Germany. Fiction
- HAPPENING (L'ÉVENÉMENT) by Audrey Diwan. France. Fiction
- QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Žbanić. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania, Turkey. Fiction
From then on between October and early December the five nominated films were viewed and discussed by students in film and media studies classes at the participating 26 European universities. Each film was analyzed, evaluated and passionately discussed over the course of two months and in the end each institution voted by a point system for their top three films. These results were sent in for the final vote.
One student representative for each of 25 universities attended a digital two-day deliberation meeting organized out of Hamburg that took place 6/7 December.
The First Day was characterized by discussing and reflecting all five films, finding arguments and describing the qualities of each film. Half-way through the results from the "national votes" – the Top 3 films (FLEE, HAPPENING, QUO VADIS, AIDA?) were announced and continued the journey with the students.
On the Second Day the students were developing criteria for the award. The discussion turned out to be very profound and enhancing reflecting aspects of all facets of the award: How do the films correspond to EUROPEAN, to UNIVERSITY and to FILM. The discourse was extremely rewarding for everybody. In a secret election the students to decided on the film FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen to be the winner of the 6th European University Film Award.
The jury statement:
Jonas Poher Rasmussen's animated documentary FLEE untangles Amin's memories as he unveils his own story from fleeing Afghanistan as a child to growing up openly gay in Denmark. The blend of different animation styles layered with the real voice of the protagonist and archival footage brings a surprising sense of realism to the film. The emotional connection to Amin’s story calls attention to the first-world ignorance of the stark reality for refugees and makes audiences reflect on their own position in society. FLEE is a unique artistic exploration of how trauma affects one's sense of self while also bringing us to the conundrum of universal sense of belonging and home.
The winner was announced during the ceremony of the European Film Awards 2020 who were held digital. The winning director Jonas Poher Rasmussen sent a video messages to thank the students.
Thanks to our wonderful students for their passion for European Cinema !!!
The 6th EUFA Edition 2021was funded by Hamburg Marketing and Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S.