During the 91st Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, held on Sunday 24 February, EU funded films were once again nominated across various categories, and in the end it was British actress Olivia Colman who won the Oscar for the best actress in The Favourite.
The Favourite, an Irish-UK-US coproduction by Yorgos Lanthimos, received € 50,000 of EU funding for its development, via the Creative Europe MEDIA programme.
Also during the weekend, some EU-supported films stood out during the 44th edition of the French César Awards, held on Friday 22 February. In particular, Jusqu’à la garde by Xavier Legrand was one of the big winners of the night receiving up to five awards, including the César for the best film.
The other two EU-supported films awarded at the French ceremony were Dilili in Paris by Christophe Rossignon, which won best animated film, and Sink or Swim (Le Grand Bain) with Philippe Katerine as best supporting actor. The EU’s MEDIA programme plays a crucial role in supporting Europe’s audiovisual sector through the development, promotion and distribution of thousands of films as well as support to training programmes, film festivals, cinema networks and distribution platforms.
To promote Europe’s diversity of films, MEDIA has launched the EU Film Contest, to reach the next generation of filmmakers and young people with an interest in films/TV. Participants can test until 19 March their European film knowledge for a chance to experience the behind the scenes of Cannes Film Festival and see European audiovisual industry at work. More information about how the EU supports cinema and the audiovisual sector is available in this factsheet.
