The European Film Academy has welcomed 640 film professionals as new members.
As such, they will now be eligible to vote for the European Film Awards and contribute to supporting European cinema through their membership.
Among the new members, 51% are women, 48% are men, and 1% identify as non-binary.
Altogether, the new members come from 50 countries, “further broadening the reach and diversity of the European Film Academy”, a press release revealed.
New members of the European Film Academy include Carolina Steinbrecher, Manuel Dacosse, Sebastian Blenkov, Franklin Symphor Henriksen DFF, Peter Marsden and Stefanie Reinhard from the cinematography community.
19% of the new members represent the different arts and crafts of cinema, further reinforcing the Academy’s chapter structure.
In the coming years, the European Film Academy has said it is keen to further increase the number of members working as cinematographers, casting directors, composers, costume designers, editors, make-up and hair artists, production designers, and sound designers.
The Academy will continue to expand its chapter structure in the years ahead too, adding further disciplines as the community continues to grow.
Plus, with 19% of the new members aged under 36, the Academy strengthens the representation of a younger generation of European filmmakers within its membership.
The European Film Academy updated the eligibility criteria for film professionals under the age of 36: They are eligible for an “Emerging Membership” if they have received noteworthy credits as head of department on either one feature-length film (70+ minutes) or – newly introduced – three short films (fiction, documentary, or animation).
These works must have been screened in an official section of a competitive FIAPF-accredited film festival, at one of the partner festivals of the European Short Film Network or have been nominated by a national film academy.
Film students can also apply if they meet these criteria.
“The members of the European Film Academy are united by a shared sense of European cultural identity and a dedication to celebrating the diversity and richness of European filmmaking,” the Academy said.
“All members can register to vote each year for the European Film Awards and, by doing so, gain access to the films on the European Film Awards shortlist, from which the nominations and award winners are selected.
“Additionally, the Academy organises events throughout the year, both in person and online, that help members connect with each other.
“Throughout the year, special ‘Underscore’ film programmes on the Academy’s VOD platform promote European films, all exclusively accessible to registered members.
“Building a European film community of filmmakers and, in doing so, increasing the visibility and accessibility of European cinema to a wider community of film lovers is a major driving force of the European Film Academy throughout the year.”
The full list of new members is available on the European Film Academy website.
