And the finalists are: Three European films battle it out for the Lux Prize

The three films competing for this year’s Lux Prize have been announced: Class Enemy (Razredni sovražnik) from Slovenia, Girlhood (Bande de filles) from France and Polish/Danish co-production Ida will all be competing for the European Parliament's annual firlm award. The finalists will be subtitled into the EU's official 24 languages and be screened in all 28 member states during the LUX Film Days this autumn. The winner will be chosen by MEPs and announced on 17 December.

The three films portray diverse contemporary European social issues with a special focus on youth. They were announced today in Rome by Silvia Costa,  the newly-elected president of the Parliament’s culture committee.

The three finalists are:

Class Enemy (Razredni sovražnik) by Rok Biček, Slovenia

Film about the relationship between the students in a Slovenian class and their new German language teacher that, partly due to differences in the way they perceive life, becomes critically tense.

Girlhood (Bande de filles) by Céline Sciamma, France.

Story of a girl who starts a new life, changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.

Ida, by Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland and Denmark

Story about an orphan brought up in the convent, who before taking her vows, finds out that she is Jewish and together with her cousin sets out on a journey to find out more about her family and herself.

The films will be  screened in more than 40 cities and 18 festivals, giving a large number of Europeans the opportunity to discover the three films. The winning film, picked by MEPs, will be adapted for the visually and hearing impaired and also be promoted during its international release.

For the second year in a row, viewers will be able to share what their favourite film is. One of the voters will be rewarded with an invitation to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2015.

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