Every year the European Parliament rolls out the red carpet to reward authentic European cinema. The Lux Prize not only honours some of the best European films, but also helps to promote them. It is a tool to support European cinema, to spark debate on current political and social issues and also a way to reflect on European identity and values.

Every year the ten films nominated for the Lux Prize are announced at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July. A few weeks later the three short-listed films are revealed in Rome. At the end of the summer they are screened during the Venice Days at the Venice Biennale.
In order for as many Europeans as possible to discover the three Lux Prize finalists, the films are subtitled into the 24 official EU languages and shown at cinemas all over Europe from October to December. These screenings are known as the Lux Film Days and during this time MEPs also watch the films and vote for which film they would like to win. The Lux Prize is awarded during the November plenary session in Strasbourg in the presence of the directors of the short-listed films.