On the occasion of the announcement of the five films nominated for the LUX Audience Award 2025, the SAA, in partnership with the Federation of European Film Directors (FERA) and the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE), invited MEPs, authors and our members, to meet and dine together in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. 

On the occasion of the announcement of the five films nominated for the LUX Audience Award 2025, the Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA), the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE) and the SAA call in their joint statement on the Members of the European Parliament to empower European audiovisual creation in all its diversity during their 10th parliamentary term.

In partnership with the Federation of European Film Directors (FERA) and the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE), the SAA invited Members of the European Parliament, the film teams of the LUX Audience Award finalists, colleagues and partners to a lunch hosted by Evelyn Regner, Vice-President of the European Parliament.

FERA, FSE and the SAA congratulate Lukas Dhont, director and writer, and co-writer Angelo Tijssens of CLOSE, winner of the LUX Audience Award 2023, as announced during a festive ceremony yesterday evening in the European Parliament in Brussels.

This year the Golden Globes, the Oscars and most recently the French César awards all failed to nominate any women for best director catalysing campaigns such as #OscarsSoMale and #CesarSoMale. Even the European Parliament’s LUX Audience Award only had one female director nominee out of five film finalists, making it clear that there still are many steps that need to be taken to reach a more equal and diverse film sector, and appreciation for women behind and on the screen.

Today is 1-year since the deadline passed for EU countries to implement the Directives on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and on Online Transmissions and Retransmissions. On 19 May 2022, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions to 13 Member States who have not notified their transposition measures of the first directive yet and to 10 Member States for the second directive. Some have delivered but many still lag behind.

After almost three years ‘on-hold’, the SAA organised its 7th edition of our 'One Day in Strasbourg'.

Every year, the European Parliament celebrates European cinema and cultural diversity through the LUX Film Prize Award. The SAA is proud to participate to this celebration by organising a dinner, in partnership with FERA and FSE, gathering Members of the European Parliament, our members and the LUX Film Prize finalists. This year, our guests reminded us that freedom of artistic expression cannot be taken for granted and needs to be upheld and protected at all times.

The SAA's 6th edition of the “One Day in Strasbourg” took place on the 26 November. In addition to SAA members meeting their MEPs during the day, we hosted a dinner together with the European Parliament's LUX Film Prize, in partnership with FERA and FSE. We celebrated European cinema, cultural diversity and freedom of expression with the LUX Film Prize finalists.  

On November 27, the European Parliament LUX Film Prize Award ceremony celebrates the richness of European cultural diversity and pays tribute to the filmmakers behind the works. We congratulate Teona Strugar Mitevska, the laureate of 2019 LUX Film Prize who was awarded the prize in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

How can screenwriters and directors ensure their films have the chance to be viewed by as many as possible and at the same time get fairly and proportionately paid for the success? This was one out of many interesting discussions at the dinner during SAA's event in the European Parliament, called ‘One Day in Strasbourg’.