Through the partnership it has built with the Brussels European Film Festival, the European Parliament (EP) has unveiled the Official Selection of its film prize: the LUX Prize 2009.  Ten films are in the Official Selection, including two MEDIA-funded titles: Pandora'nin kutusu (Pandora's Box), directed by Yesim Ustaoglu, and Welcome, directed by Phillipe Lioret.

The ten films have been selected because of their high quality and contribution to topics of great European concern, including solidarity, immigration, justice, public freedom and fundamental human rights.  For the EP, the LUX Prize is also a way of breaking down the language barriers that hinder the circulation of films throughout Europe.

The ten chosen films will be further whittled down to three, which will be screened at the EP from 2 to 20 November.  A vote will be cast by the 736 EP members to elect the winning film, which will then be awarded the LUX Prize 2009 on 25 November in Strasbourg, France.

The winning film will benefit from the financial support of the European Parliament for the following production aspects:

• Subtitling in the EU's 23 official languages, including the adaptation of the original version for visually- or hearing-impaired people

• Producing one 35mm version per member state

• Supporting the DVD release.

The winner of the LUX Prize 2008 was the MEDIA-supported Le Silence de Lorna (The Silence of Lorna), directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

Visit the LUX Prize 2009 website.