Last year in Lucerne, Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez nearly swept the top prizes.

The Best European Film nominees include Sentimental Value, Sirāt, It Was Just An Accident, Afternoons of Solitude, and Sound of Falling, among others.

The winners will be unveiled at the Berlin ceremony on January 17, 2026.

Sentimental Value could potentially sweep and boost international distribution, festival exposure, and Oscar visibility.

In the acting category, Leonie Benesch is nominated for Heldin, with Vicky Krieps contending against Renate Reinsve, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, and Léa Drucker.

The report includes cross-promotional cues to Guardian and MundoCine coverage, along with a standard IMDb disclaimer urging readers to verify facts with the source.

The piece provides production and national affiliation context and notes that the full nomination list is available in Variety.

Sentimental Value features Stellan Skarsgård as a once-famous director trying to mend ties with his two daughters; the film opens in the UK and other European markets this December.

In die Sonne schauen centers on four young women across different times on a farm in the Altmark and is Germany’s submission for the Oscars.

The film explores domestic violence, repressed desires, and inherited trauma across eras on the Altmark farm.

In die Sonne schauen brings Cannes accolades and positions its four-woman narrative within the Oscar race, highlighting hauntings of violence and trauma.

Liv Ullmann will receive a lifetime achievement award, while Alice Rohrwacher is honored for European/world cinema contributions.