Hollywood is transferable to other awards cer- emonies. So if they expect these type of Holly- wood stars at a European Film Awards ceremony then we are definitely not glamor- ous. It is, by the way, much easier for national awards ceremonies because national stars are known to the national audience. In Europe we are still facing the dilemma that we don’t know the stars from other countries.


How should this perception change? If we are prepared to understand and willing to discover that Europe has the most wonder- ful talent to offer then we can say with pride and self-confidence: yes, every year the Euro- pean Film Awards assemble a lot of glamour, even if not all national stars are automatically known outside their own countries! Or, I should say, not yet, because a major task of the European Film Awards is to make Euro- pean actors and directors known to the out- side world. Let me quote Helen Mirren, who recently


said in an interview that as a member of the European Film Academy she sees brilliant actors in films from Germany, Serbia, Italy or the Ukraine every year who would easily win an Oscar if they played in an English-lan- guage film. I think there is still a lot of work to be done in European cinema. However, it is maybe less a question of promoting and mar- keting talent but more a question of promot- ing a different approach to the rich treasure European cinema has to offer.


How do you react then when nominees don’t show up at your ceremony? Is there more persuasion needed? When nominees are not able to attend the cere- mony then in most cases it is because they are shooting. Either they are shooting on another continent and are so far away that it is physically impossible to fly over for one night, or their shooting schedule is so tight that the producer simply can’t give his permission to leave the set.


In these cases we are the first to understand; on the contrary, isn’t it good to know that they are working on new films? Of course, there are also important personal reasons that may prevent a nominee from coming which we also have to accept. If none of these excuses are relevant then, I


have to admit, we can’t hide a feeling of disap- pointment because it is so important that the talent show their support and solidarity, and even if this is not with the European Film Awards then at least we would wish that it is with their colleagues.


How does the financing of the European Film Awards ceremony work? Nowadays most film awards ceremonies have to secure their financing themselves, and although most of them are regarded as non-profit cultural events they have to accept the rules of the mar- ket. To cut a long story short: this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest of the challenges in our business.


“If the European Film Awards didn’t already exist, one would have to invent them,” said Volker Schlöndorff, deputy chairman of the European Film Academy. Why is that? In the almost 24 years since they were launched nothing has changed with regard to their raison d’être. On the contrary, more than ever the Euro- pean film industry needs platforms like the Euro- pean Film Awards to promote its films, because when it comes to the box-office, European films still live in the shadow. Where big promotion budgets are missing,


awards ceremonies can be important instru- ments to attract audience attention. Awards pay special attention to outstanding achievements and they do help us to discover films and talent that might otherwise escape our notice. Awards do also serve as a sign of quality, especially in a Europe where in many countries people do not have the opportunity to see a broad range of films from other territories and cultures.


European Film Awards 2011 n 11


Awards help us to discover films


and talent that might otherwise escape our notice


But wouldn’t this be more a task of the national awards? National awards are important in their own countries. International awards are important for the recognition of films outside their coun- tries of origin. The more diverse, the more mul- ticultural our societies become, the more we can observe in Europe a tendency to retire into the regional or the national. With its almost 25-year history, the European Film Academy is a very successful example of an independent multicultural community and the European Film Awards are an important platform to demonstrate openness and curiosity which are vital if we want to guarantee a future for Europe.


What is the best way to enjoy tonight’s awards ceremony? Share the excitement of the nominees and the happiness of the winners and feel part of a Euro- pean summit that luckily does not deal with the euro and the economic crisis but with the cul- tural achievements of Europe!


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