An Irish film has been shorted listed for the European Parliament film prize, the LUX Audience Award.
‘Christy’, directed by Brendan Canty, tells the story of a 17-year-old Irish boy ousted from his foster home and forced to live with his estranged half-brother.
It’s a story of their struggle to secure a better future whilst “both are faced with tough decisions that challenge their fragile bond”, according to the summary from the European Parliament.
Five films have been shortlisted by a panel of judges and will now be screened at cinemas all over Europe.
The public will help to decide the winner which will be announced next spring.
“Citizens across Europe can vote for their favourite film on the LUX Audience Award rating platform. Their respective votes will each count 50 percent towards the films’ final scores”, the European Parliament says.
The nominated films are chosen on themes that “raise awareness about current social and political issues and engage audiences in debates about Europe in a thought-provoking way, and reflect the beauty and diversity of European cinema”.
Brendan Canty previously directed a number of short films including Jam, released in 2020, and Storyland, a anthology series of short films produced for RTE back in 2009.
IMDb describe him as “one of the most exciting and prolific Irish directors”.
The other four films on the shortlist are:
‘Sorda’ – a Spanish film about a deaf woman expecting a child with her hearing partner; ‘It Was Just An Accident’ exploring political repression in Iran; ‘Love Me Tender’, a French film about a woman who loses custody of her son after telling her ex-husband that she has romantic relationships with other women; and ‘Sentimental Value’, a Swedish-Norwegian film about the complexities of family dynamics.
A ceremony to announce the 2026 LUX Audience Award laureate will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels in mid-April 2026.