European Film Academy. 4 Portuguese films nominated

Four films by Portuguese directors, including On Falling , by Laura Carreira, and Sol Menor , by André Silva Santos, are candidates for a nomination for the 2026 European film awards, it was announced this Tuesday.

The European Film Academy has revealed a list of finalist films, from European productions in feature films, short films, fiction, documentary and animation, which are now seeking a nomination for the annual awards, to be awarded on January 17 in Berlin .

Among the European fiction feature films nominated are O Riso e a Faca , by Pedro Pinho, with Sérgio Coragem, Cléo Diára and Jonathan Guilherme in the cast, which opens in cinemas on the 30th, and On Falling , by Laura Carreira, starring Joana Santos.

Laughter and the Knife is Pedro Pinho's second feature-length fiction film and premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival in France, earning actress Cleo Diára an acting award.

On Falling is Laura Carreira's first feature-length fiction film. It was shot in Scotland, where the director lives, and stars actress Joana Santos as Aurora, a young Portuguese immigrant with a dehumanizing and poorly paid job who feels alienated, alone, and unable to socialize.

Two Portuguese minority co-productions are also candidates: Once Upon a Time in Gaza , by Palestinian directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser, and Afternoons of Solidarity , by Spaniard Albert Serra.

The films Sol Menor , by André Silva Santos, and La Durmiente , by Maria Inês Gonçalves, are candidates for a nomination for the Vimeo award for Best Short Film.

Sol Menor is a debut work of fiction by director André Silva Santos and follows a music teacher who divides his days between flute lessons and mourning the death of his wife and who faces a dilemma after a visit from his brother.

The film was recognized last summer at the Curtas Vila do Conde festival and is guaranteed qualification in the selection process for nominees for the 2026 Oscars.

La Durmiente is also a first work by Maria Inês Gonçalves, it was filmed in the Monastery of Sancti Spiritus, in Spain, where Beatriz of Portugal is buried.

“The film tells the story of this preponderant figure in the Portuguese dynastic crisis of 1383, through a group of seven children” who interpret fragments of her life, reads the synopsis.

The nominees for these awards will be announced in stages, on October 31st, November 18th and 26th, covering categories such as European Film, Director, Documentary, Animated Feature Film, European Actress, European Actor, Screenplay, Cinematography, Casting Direction or Discovery Award, awarded by the federation of film critics.

The 38th European Film Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for January 17 in Berlin.