European Film Academy

The European Film Academy is an initiative of a group of European filmmakers who came together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. Every year, the European Film Academy honours films and filmmakers with the European Film Awards. The ceremony is taking place every even year in a different European city, and every odd year in Berlin. European Film Academy The academy—under the name of European Cinema Society—was founded by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, as well as 40 filmmakers from all over Europe, among them Bernardo Bertolucci, Claude Chabrol, Dušan Makavejev, István Szabó, and Wim Wenders. Bergman became the first president, and Wenders was elected chairman. A year later, the European Cinema Society was renamed European Film Academy and was registered as a non-profit association. In 1996, Wenders took over the presidency from Bergman, and the British producer Nik Powell was elected chairman. The board of the academy consists of members representing various parts of Europe. Board members are elected for a period of 2 years, with a maximum period of 3 periods. Board meetings take place 3 times a year, one of which is in Berlin, where the academy is headquartered.