Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis 2021 trophy; Credit: Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis

The Film Fund Luxembourg and Filmakademie, organisers of the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis (Luxembourg Film Prize), have announced that the next awards ceremony will take place at the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg on Friday 26 November 2021.

Following the cancellation of last year's award ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this 9th edition will go ahead in line with the sanitary measures in force on that date.

The Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis 2021 introduces several major new features, including the introduction of a two-round voting system, new prize categories and a new website.

Two-Round System

The introduction of a two-round voting system brings the Filmakademie in line with the functioning of other European academies and the Oscars. Previously, a pre-selection committee selected the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis nominees; members of the Filmakademie were then asked to vote in a single round to choose the winner for each prize.

From now on, it is the members themselves who vote among all the eligible productions, from the first round, which then determines the nominations.

Members then vote in a second round to determine the winner in each award category. Those who obtained the most votes will be awarded the Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis 2021.

The nominations will be announced at a press conference in autumn.

New Prize Categories

Following requests and developments in the sector, the Board of Directors of the Filmakademie has decided to add new categories, namely:

  • Prize for Best Music;
  • The Prize for Best Performance, introduced in the previous edition is now split in two to become the Prize for Best Female Performance and Prize for Best Male Performance;
  • Prize for Best XR (extended reality) Work (this prize is the only one not to be submitted to the vote of Filmakademie members, but to an ad hoc jury).

In total, the following fourteen prizes will be awarded:

  • Prize for Best Luxembourgish Fiction or Animated Feature Film;
  • Prize for Best Feature-length Fiction or Documentary Film in Co-production;
  • Prize for Best Feature-length Film in Co-production;
  • Prize for Best Short Fiction or Documentary Film;
  • Prize for Best Animated Short Film;
  • Prize for Best Feature-length Documentary;
  • Prize for Best Fiction or Documentary TV and New Media Production;
  • Prize for Best TV Production and New Animation Media;
  • Prize for Best Female Performance;
  • Prize for Best Male Performance;
  • Prize for Best Creative Contribution to a Work of Fiction or Documentary;
  • Prize for Best Creative Contribution to an Animated Feature Film;
  • Prize for Best Music; 
  • Prize for Best XR Work

New Website 

The Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis now has its own website, developed in collaboration with Dudelange-based creative studio Bunker Palace: www.filmprais.lu. The website will evolve as news and announcements are made.

The Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis 2021 is jointly organised by the Film Fund Luxembourg, which is responsible for the organisation of the award ceremony, and the Filmakademie, which is in charge of the organisation of the vote.

Members of the Filmakademie are audiovisual and cinema professionals from the Grand Duchy. Apart from the members of the founding associations, all those involved in the cinema and audiovisual industry, including, more broadly, those in charge of cultural film institutes, specialised teachers, film critics, those in charge of festivals, operators of cinema, have the opportunity to join the academy at any time.

The Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis trophy is created and shaped by hand by Luxembourg artist Patricia Lippert, which makes each statuette a unique piece.

All the prize categories, as well as the productions and eligible individuals can be viewed on the new website via this link: www.filmprais.lu/eligibles2021.