On 11 June 2026, representatives of film academies from across Europe gathered in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina, Italy, for the third General Assembly of FACE (Federation of Film Academies Europe). Co-hosted by the Taormina Film Festival and the Italian Film Academy Foundation – David di Donatello Awards, the assembly took place in the historic heart of the city, close to the Teatro Greco.
FACE was founded in 2024 in order to unite Europe’s film academies as a collaborative voice, dedicated to the growth and visibility of European cinema.
The General Assembly was pleased to formally welcome two new members: the Irish Film & Television Academy and the Galician Audiovisual Academy (Spain), bringing FACE’s total membership to 25 academies. (Full membership list to be updated). The day opened with a keynote speech by the President of Cinecittà, Antonio Saccone. He underlined the role of cinema — and of European film academies in particular — as a powerful medium to build bridges in our societies, which are often more and more fragmentized.
The European Film Academy is a founding member of the Federation, after initiating annual gatherings for national film academies since 2006. Academy CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol and Pascal Edelmann, Head of European Film Heritage, were both present in Taormina.
Katharina Albrecht (Austrian Academy for Film) was elected chair of the board, with Katarina Krnáčová acting as vice-chair with a mandate of 2 years. Alain Randresy (Film Academy Luxembourg) and Peter Craeymeersch (Ensors Academy, Dutch-speaking Belgium) were newly elected to the board. Laia Aubia (Catalan Film Academy), Francine Hofstee (Dutch Academy for Film) and Matthijs Wouter Knol (European Film Academy) will continue their board membership.
Says Katharina Albrecht, incoming chair of the board, „We believe in and see ourselves as part of a reality, where European culture and Identity and the role of European cinema become increasingly important. I am honoured and glad to work with my colleagues of FACE in order to strengthen the communication and collaboration of our institutions and communities all over the continent.”
During this year’s assembly, FACE launched a new website (www.filmacademies.eu) and evaluated its recent initiative, “Best of Europe”, a collaboration with FestivalScope. „Best of Europe“ offers members of FACE academies exclusive access to some of the recent national award-winning films, further strengthening the visibility, circulation and appreciation of outstanding European cinema across borders. The initiative is envisioned as a flexible, evolving program that can be adapted and implemented in a variety of formats and contexts.
Foto: (c) Lorenzo Nicotra, Taormina Film Festival.
