Fri Sep 20 09:13:43 UTC 2024: ## Five Films Compete for 2025 LUX Audience Award

**Strasbourg, France -** The European Parliament has unveiled the five films competing for the prestigious 2025 LUX Audience Award. The shortlisted films, selected by a panel of European film professionals, showcase diverse stories addressing contemporary social issues.

The nominees are:

* **Animal (Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria):** Directed by Sofia Exarchou, this film explores the pressures and anxieties of working at an all-inclusive resort in Greece.
* **Dahomey (France, Senegal, Benin):** Director Mati Diop tells the story of the return of royal treasures to Benin from France, highlighting the complex legacy of colonialism and its impact on contemporary society.
* **Flow (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia):** Gints Zilbalodis’ animated fantasy film follows a cat navigating a post-apocalyptic world alongside other animals, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the face of adversity.
* **Intercepted (Canada, France, Ukraine):** Directed by Oksana Karpovych, this documentary utilizes intercepted phone calls from the Ukrainian battlefield to shed light on the dehumanizing effects of war and the impact of propaganda.
* **Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium, Sweden):** Leonardo Van Dijl’s drama explores the pressures of silence and the importance of speaking out, centering on a young tennis player grappling with a scandal at her academy.

The LUX Audience Award, a collaboration between the European Parliament, the European Film Academy, the European Commission, and Europa Cinemas, encourages viewers to engage with these films and participate in choosing the winner. The public can watch and rate the nominated films on the dedicated LUX award platform.

The award, established in 2007, aims to promote European cinema and distribute films tackling universal themes like human dignity, equality, and social justice. Subtitles are available in all 24 EU official languages, with free screenings organized across Europe until April 2025.

The LUX 2024 edition saw over 700 screenings and engaged over 70,000 audience members in discussions about the films. The 2025 edition introduces the Young Talent Programme, fostering the participation of young cinema professionals in promoting European values and the LUX Audience Award.

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