European Film Awards reduce risk further by going digital

Hybrid ceremony to be hosted by Annabelle Mandeng.

Due to the ongoing and unexpected developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Film Academy has decided that the upcoming ceremony of the 34th European Film Awards on 11 December will be further adapted. The aim of the organisation is to minimise risks for the people involved as much as possible.

As previously announced, the Awards Ceremony had already re-formatted as a distanced live event. However, the current situation forces the European Film Awards to take place in a completely hybrid form, with nominees and winners joining in various digital formats, pre-produced and live online.

The 34th edition of the European Film Awards will be hosted by German actress, moderator and writer Annabelle Mandeng. The studio is located in the monumental Arena Berlin, where this year’s ceremony was always planned to take place. Several presenters of the different award categories will be at the studio, whereas others will join through a virtual connection.

“As much as we regret this decision,” Academy director Matthijs Wouter Knol states, “at the moment what counts most to us is to prevent people from travelling across Europe and heightening the risk for everybody – this concerns foremost both nominees and winners, but also includes our team in Berlin. We trust that the available technology and a massive effort from everybody involved, combined with our collective experience with all kinds of online gatherings, will make it possible to highlight the exceptional films and achievements nominated for this year’s European Film Awards. In difficult times like these, we especially hope that the Awards Ceremony will bring together the European film community and reach as many film-loving members of the public as possible through streaming.”

The livestream of the 34th European Film Awards can be followed on europeanfilmawards.eu at 19:00 CET and through many partners all over Europe. The Ceremony will also be covered on the social media channels of the European Film Awards on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.