Each year the European Film Awards move to a different location and this year for their 25th anniversary they'll be in Malta. If you vote on their Audience Award prize starting September 1st (today!) you become eligible to win a trip to the ceremony on December 1st (today in 3 months!). Voting closes at the end of October.
The audience prize nominees, an eclectic bunch, are...
- THE ARTIST (france -- last year's best picture winner)
- BARBARA (germany -- Germany's official submission for the upcoming Oscars)
- THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (uk)
- CAESAR MUST DIE (italy)
- HASTA LA VISTA/COME AS YOU ARE (belgium)
- HEADHUNTERS (norway)
- IN DARKNESS (poland - oscar foreign film nominee 2011)
- INTOUCHABLES (france)
- THE IRON LADY (uk - oscar best actress winner)
- SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (uk)
- SHAME (uk)
- TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (france, uk, germany)
I'm baffled about the inclusion of The Iron Lady as it certainly doesn't fit any "crowd pleaser" definition previously known to man. Unless by crowd you mean the entire population of StreepStanistan. Obviously in any "people's choice" situation the film that has been the most widely seen has the edge, so this prize is probably going to The Intouchables ($363 million globally) given its global phenom status. The Artist ($133 million globally), and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($131 million globally) look like the only possible spoilers.
Lest you dismiss the European Film Awards outright through headscratching over this particular list, please to remember that it's only their audience prize. Their regular nominations don't arrive until early November. Last year they were the only awards body to give the great Melancholia multiple statues.
In related Ocean-Crossing news, The Oscar Foreign Film Submission Charts are now up to detail the official Academy submissions as well as rumors of which films might compete:
- ALBANIA thru ISRAEL - one official submission thus far, one official finalist list, a few rumors
- ITALY thru VIETNAM - one official submission thus far, some rumors