Aki Kaurismäki’s tragi-comedy is running in the five major fiction categories including best film, script and director.

The Finnish Oscar entry Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet) for which legendary filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki earned a Jury Prize in Cannes, is also running for best actress (Alma Pöysti) and best actor (Jussi Vatanen) at the European Film Awards.

Five earlier Kaurismäki films have been nominated for the prestigious awards, with Matti Pellonpää collecting the best actor accolade in 1992 for his role in Bohemian Life.

Fallen Leaves produced by Sputnik and Bufo, continues to perform strongly in Finland, with more than 195,000 admissions since September 15 via B-Plan.

Denmark is also strongly represented at the EFA’s 36th edition, with three nominations:

  • Lea Glob’s multi-awarded Apolonia, Apolonia produced by Danish Documentary Production is running for best European documentary,
  • Mads Mikkelsen is nominated for best actor in Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land (Bastarden) produced by Zentropa,
  • Malene Choi’s The Quiet Migration (Stille liv) produced by Manna Film is nominated for the European Discovery-Prix FIPRESCI.

Sweden scoops one nomination for the documentary Motherland by Hanna Badziaka & Alexander Mihalkovich produced by Sisyfos Film Production, while Norway and Iceland are each represented as minority co-producers, respectively for the documentaries Motherland and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Estonian filmmaker Anna Hints.

Other European films leading this year’s EFA nominations include Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, five time nominated, followed by Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border with three nominations, Matteo Garrone’s Me Captain and İlker Çatak’s The Teacher’s Lounge, each nominated twice.

The nominations for this year’s EFAs were announced Tuesday by teenagers around Europe, members of the newly launched European Film Club, a free-of-charge European film platform and film club for young people aged between 12-19.

The European Film Academy which organises the EFAs announced earlier that British actress Vanessa Redgrave and Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr will each receive honorary awards during the EFA ceremony to be held December 9 in Berlin.