Three Danish films have made the European Film Awards shortlist for 2027, with two fiction features and a documentary selected among 68 productions from across Europe. The films are Woman Unknown by May el-Toukhy, The Guest by Mads Mengel and Rescue by Sine Plambech.
The European Film Academy announced the selection on 14 October, ahead of the 39th European Film Awards, which will take place in Athens, Greece, on 16 January 2027.
The shortlist includes 45 fiction films, 15 documentaries and eight animated features, representing 40 European countries. Being shortlisted is the first step towards securing an official nomination.
Three Danish films from different genres
May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown (Kvinde ukendt) is a historical drama set in Denmark immediately after the Second World War. It follows Marie, a young housemaid preparing to marry a wealthy widower, whose new life is threatened by the discovery of her previous relationship with a German soldier during the Nazi occupation.
The film has already achieved significant international recognition. In September, it won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Venice International Film Festival, while its leading actress, Mathilde Arcel, received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.
It has also been selected by the Danish Film Institute (Det Danske Filminstitut) as Denmark’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Academy Awards.
Mads Mengel’s The Guest (Gæsten) is a family drama starring Trine Dyrholm, Simon Bennebjerg and Josephine Park. Set during a family gathering at a seaside hotel, the story follows the tensions that emerge when an estranged mother unexpectedly returns, reopening unresolved conflicts.
Mengel’s feature debut received both the Special Jury Prize and Best Director Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2026.
The third Danish entry, Sine Plambech’s Rescue, is a documentary examining the human consequences of European migration and border policies.
The film follows Roro, a Yemeni mother separated from her husband during a Mediterranean crossing. After being taken back to Libya, she struggles to reunite her family. Filmed partly aboard a Médecins Sans Frontières rescue vessel, the documentary explores the realities of migration across the Mediterranean and the consequences of European border controls.
Rescue premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The rest of the European Film Awards shortlist
The three Danish productions are competing for nominations alongside films by several internationally established directors.
Among the 45 shortlisted fiction films are Bitter Christmas by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, Bucking Fastard by Werner Herzog, Tender Loving Care by British filmmaker Mike Leigh and The Diary of a Chambermaid by Romanian director Radu Jude.
Other Nordic productions also feature prominently in the selection. They include:
- Growth of the Soil (Markens grøde), directed by Norway’s Hans Petter Moland.
- Brace Your Heart (Garrat du váimmu), directed by Swedish-Sámi filmmaker Amanda Kernell.
- Fjord, directed by Romania’s Cristian Mungiu and co-produced by several European countries, including Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
- Julián, an animated feature directed by Louise Bagnall and co-produced by Ireland, Luxembourg, Canada and Denmark.
The documentary shortlist also features Naza, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, and Traces, directed by Ukrainian filmmakers Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk.
Several of these films have Danish co-production involvement, meaning Denmark’s presence in the European selection extends beyond the three Danish-directed works.
The complete shortlist is available on the European Film Awards website.
When will the nominations be announced?
The 5,700 members of the European Film Academy will now evaluate the shortlisted productions and vote on the nominations in the main award categories.
The official nominations will be announced on 14 November 2026, during the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece.
The winners will then be revealed on 16 January 2027 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, which will host the ceremony for the first time.
