The European Film Awards are the European equivalent to the American Oscars. Every year, the European Film Academy awards a prize for the best short film. 29 festivals (including Berlinale, the Venice IFF, the Locarno Film Festival, and – since 2020 – Kurzfilmtage) submit the choices of their respective juries to the Academy. We are excited to showcase some of the most remarkable works in European short filmmaking with a selection of films that were shortlisted in 2021.
The Martyr
Fernando Pomares / Spain 2020 / 18'14" / DCP / colour / Arabic/Catalan / Fic
Lina is a Syrian woman who lives in a refugee camp with her daughter. Her voice narrates the story of her two brothers, Jammal and Khaled, as they illegally cross a border to enter into a western country. Khaled is wounded by a bullet. Moving forward, their journey will become a very difficult task where dreams, expectations, and religion all blend together. «The Martyr» mixes its characters’ emotions with the irony of a cruel and absurd outcome that ultimately questions their dignity as human beings.
Memories
Kristin Johannessen / Sweden 2021 / 13'38" / DCP / Swedish / Doc
Years after recovering from a delusional disorder and OCD, Kristin Johannessen finds her old digital cameras while clearing out her childhood room. She lived there during her illness and used to record film for hours a day. These films were not meant as documentation, they just served for her to calm down. The day after filming, everything would be deleted to make space for new films.
The News
Lorin Terezi / Albania/Spain 2020 / 15' / DCP / colour / Albanian / Fic
A newly married woman lives with her in-laws while her husband works in the neighbouring country, Greece. One day, he discovers a corpse and the whole small town finds itself in a battle to get coverage on national television.
Push This Button If You Begin to Panic
Gabriel Böhmer / United Kingdom/Switzerland 2020 / 11' / DCP / colour / English / Ani
Bartholomew Whisper went to the doctor today. There he met administrators keen on experimental surgery and lonely MRI machines. At least the growing hole in his head was becoming quite beautiful.
In Flow of Words
Eliane Esther Bots / Netherlands 2021 / 22'17" / DCP / colour / English/Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian / Doc
«In Flow of Words» follows the narratives of three interpreters of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. They had to interpret shocking testimonies from witnesses, victims, and perpetrators, without ever allowing their own emotions and personal histories to be present. Contrary to their position at the tribunal, this film places their voices and experiences centre stage.