Let the Right one In (Låt den rätta komma in) has tough competitors in the Best Film category, such as the Oscar champion Slumdog Millionaire, the Palme d'or winner The White Ribbon and A Prophet, Best Film at the recent London Film Festival. The Swedish vampire film, currently being remade in the US, has two other nominations: European Composer 2009 for Johan Söderqvist, and EFA People's Choice Award.
The Swedish/Danish blockbuster The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Niels Arden Oplev is also competing for Best Composer (Jakob Groth) and People's Choice Award, as well as for Best European Actress, a well deserved recognition of Noomi Rapace's striking performance in the Millennium film. Again, competition will be tight for Rapace who is nominated with award-winning Kate Winslet (The Reader) and Cannes winner Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist).
Lars von Trier will run against his peers Pedro Almodovar, Michael Haneke, Danny Boyle, and the fast rising Jacques Audiard and Andrea Arnold. The Danish director already picked up an EFA award for Best Director in 2003 for Dogville.
Anthony Dod Mantle who was voted Best European Cinematographer in 2003 for his work on Dogville and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, is coincidentally nominated this year for Antichrist and Slumdog Millionaire by the two same directors.
The Finnish film Niko & the Way to the Stars is nominated in the new EFA category Best Animation Film.