'Close' nominated for four European Film Awards

'Close' by Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont has been nominated for four European Film Awards, the European Film Academy announced Tuesday. 'Close' is one of the three frontrunners for the awards with nominations in the best European Film, Director, Actor and Screenwriter categories.

The European Film Awards - annually presented by the European Film Academy since 1988 - are the most important film awards for the European film industry. In the coming weeks, 4,400 European Film Academy members can cast their votes for the nominated films. This year's winners will be announced on December 10 at the awards ceremony in Reykjavík.

'Close' revolves around a friendship between two 13-year-old boys that is suddenly disrupted. The Belgian filmmaker's feature premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and has been awarded multiple times. Dhondt already garnered high praise in 2018 with his first feature film 'Girl', centred on a promising teenage ballerina struggling with gender dysphoria.

The best European Actor nomination is for 'Close' lead actor Eden Dambrine. The 15-year-old Dambrine had no acting experience before filming 'Close'. Both Dhont and co-screenwriter Angelo Tijssens are nominated in the European Screenwriter category.

The leading contenders in Reykjavík will be Danish director Ali Abbasi’s 'Holy Spider' and Swedish director Ruben Ôstlund’s 'Triangle Of Sadness', each also nominated in four categories. Belgium shows up in the European Discovery category as well, with a nomination for 'Love According To Dalva (Dalva)' by Belgian filmmaker Emmanuelle Nicot.

(KOR)

^{Belgian actor Eden Dambrine (left) and Belgian director Lukas Dhont (right) after winning the Grand Prix for 'Close' at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 © LOIC VENANCE / AFP}