25th European Film Awards Documentary Nominations

The European Film Academy announced today the nominations in the category European Film Academy Documentary 2012.

A committee consisting of Nik Powell, director of the NFTS and deputy chairman of the EFA Board (UK), EFA Members Francine Brücher (Switzerland) and Despina Mouzaki (Greece), and the documentary experts Claas Danielsen (Germany), Ally Derks (the Netherlands), and Jacques Laurent (Belgium) selected the nominees.

These are the three (3) nominated films.

Hiver Nomade (Winter Nomads), Manuel von Stürler, Switzerland
London - The Modern Babylon, Julien Temple, UK
Le thé ou l'électricité (Tea or Electricity), Jérôme le Maire, Belgium, France and Morocco

Manuel von Stürler's documentary was premiered at the 2012 Berlinale in the Forum section, collected honors in the festival circuit and went to win the Grand Prix for best Swiss Documentary Feature Film at the Visions du Reel International Film Fest, the following is the jury statement:

"For revealing through this engaging journey the impressive touch of his director, who is able to exploit the cinematographic potential of the film’s two main characters and of their incredible chemistry. These contemporary nomads live an adventure out of time, but still deeply rooted in our present. The director of this first feature documentary creates through the power of his photography, the subtleness of the editing and the use of music, a magic of simplicity."

Premiered on BBC Two during the Olympics Julien Temple's documentary went to be screened at 2012 Toronto Film Festival where Piers Handling wrote the following:

While looking unabashedly at London’s blemishes, Temple also cites many triumphs. He does an exemplary job confronting what immigration meant for the city, as waves of newcomers landed and British industry fired back up in the postwar period. As figures from the past bubble with energy — flappers, debutantes, Teddy Boys, rock stars, models, punks and more tumble across the screen — Temple picks his way through London’s past with dexterity and a stunning grasp of its archival heritage. This effervescent documentary embraces the complexity of a great city, and its final punctuation mark, The Kink’s iconic ode "Waterloo Sunset," provides the perfect summation of a city forever in transition.

Jérôme le Maire's documentary travelled the festival circuit where collected honors like diploma and the medal for the Best Film from the Student Jury at XXII International Film Festival Message To Man in Saint-Petersburg, Best Film on indigenous people at Parnü, Estonia among others and is still being screened as official selection in more festivals to come.

The Academy nominated three highly honored feature films that have and still are collecting honors in general and documentary-only festivals. All have quite interesting stories and from trailers seem to have great visuals.

The nominated documentary films will be made available to the 2,700 members of the European Film Academy. They will vote for the winner who will be presented at the 25th European Film Awards on 1 December in Malta.

You can read more information about each film as well as watch trailers @MOC