Dear friends and colleagues,
This is my first edition of the European Film Awards as the Academy’s President and we are standing at the brink of a new era. We continue to strive for the best way to celebrate the greatest achievements in European film, to share our enthusiasm for these films and their makers with our colleagues and with the film-loving public world-wide. We want to make sure that the European Film Academy welcomes Europe and her filmmaking in all its diversity, that we include films and filmmakers of all ethnic origins and skin colours, all religions and beliefs, of all genders and orientations, all backgrounds.
There are a lot of challenges ahead of us and we will need all the support we can get to identify and challenge them. This will involve members of the European Film Academy and the European film industry at large. But it will also include all those who make our films, past and current, accessible to the public and promote the art of European film – cinema owners, cinematheques, distributors, film clubs, streaming platforms, the media, teachers, film fans.
Now, this has been (another) unusual year for all of us. Of course, we were looking forward to a big ceremony, to gathering a lot of the members of the academy, nominees and award recipients, partners, and friends. Current circumstances have forced us to re-format and limit participation. After a long time of home office, constant testing, and online meetings, however, I am confident that this year’s European Film Awards will reach out and touch all of them.
I would like to welcome all of you, filmmakers who have had their film in the selections, nominees, new members, patrons, friends and allies of European film.
I thank you for your support.
Merci! Dziękuję! Dankeschön!