Final round of 2015 LUX Film competition: screenings and debates with directors

The final round of the ninth edition of the 2015 LUX Film Prize competition starts in Brussels on Monday. It includes three screenings attended by the directors, live debates with audiences and two weeks in which the three shortlisted films -Meditrranea, Mustang and Urok (The Lesson) - will be shown at the EP, with MEPs voting for the winning film and audiences choosing their favourites.

Screenings at the EP run from 9 to 20 November. The films will also be presented at Bozar in Brussels on 10 and 11 November. The directors of Urok (The Lesson) and Mustang will be present at Bozar and Mediterranea will be shown simultaneously ineight European cities.

Mediterranea will be relayed from Bozar, on Wednesday, 11 November, to cinemas in Aarhus, Seville, Cork, Bratislava, Paris, Lisbon, Santiago de Compostela and Bucharest. The director, Jonas Carpignano, will and will take part, from Bruissels, in a live debate with the audience after the film via Twitter (#luxprize), which will be livestreamed to all the cinemas taking part. ARTE TV will also broadcast the debate on its website. Audiences across Europe are invited join the discussion on Twitter and send their questions to the director.

The films will also be screened twice a day at the European Parliament from 9 to 20 November. MEPs will be able to vote for their favourite film up to 23 November and the winner will be announced when the voting has closed. The prize will be awarded on 24 November at a ceremony in Strasbourg.

The three films shortlisted for the 2015 LUX Prize

All three films deal with contemporary European social issues such as immigration, the role of local conservative traditions and economic problems in society.

Mediterranea (Italy, United States, Germany, France, Qatar): Jonas Carpignano's debut feature is a highly sensitive and topical portrayal of migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of freedom and safety.

Mustang (France, Germany, Turkey, Qatar) by Deniz Gamze Ergüven tells the story of the imprisonment of some young girls in a society dominated by men who are still heavily influenced by local traditions.

Urok (The Lesson) by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov (Bulgaria, Greece), is set in a school and shows how economic hardship can shatter a comfortable existence.

Special Audience Mention

For the fourth year running, audiences also have the chance to vote for their favourite film, with the winner being awarded a special Audience Mention. Viewers can state their preferences on the LUX Prize website or Facebook page (see links on the right). The results will be announced at the 2016 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, marking the end of the 2015 edition of the LUX Prize and opening the next edition with the announcement of the 10 new films in the official selection for the 2016 LUX Prize.

The LUX Film Days

The three films on the shortlist for the LUX Prize are screened in the 28 European Union countries during the LUX Film Days event, from September to December, with subtitling provided by the European Parliament in the 24 official languages of the EU. The aim is to share the wealth and diversity of European cinema with as many Europeans as possible and to spark discussion about the topics raised in the films selected.

LUX Prize award ceremony

The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz i, will announce the winner of this year's competition on 24 November, in Strasbourg, at the official award ceremony. There will be a press conference with the representatives of the three films after the results are announced. Journalists will also have the chance to interview the directors.

REF. : 20151109IPR01724