The German actress Hanna Schygulla received an honorary Golden Bear at the 60th Berlinale. The European Parliament took this opportunity to congratulate Mrs Schygulla for her lifetime achievements. One of these was her magnificent performance in Fatih Akin's Auf der anderen Seite, which won the 2007 LUX Prize. The President of the European Parliament personally handed the award to Ms Schygulla on 24 October 2007.

Hanna Schygulla, actress in the film by Fatih Akin Auf der anderen Seite, European Parliament's LUX Prize winner in 2007

Since 2007, the European Parliament's LUX Prize has cast a spotlight on the wealth and diversity of European cinema. The prize is awarded annually for fiction or animation films illustrating or questioning European values or European identity, revealing Europe's cultural diversity or providing insights into the EU integration debate. The award is intended to break down the language barriers that prevent many films from being distributed across Europe.

"My sincerest congratulations go to Hanna Schygulla, who has been awarded the honorary Golden Bear 2010. With her roles in many theatre pieces and international film productions she has made an essential contribution to vivid portrayals of Europe's cultural diversity, not least in Fatih Akins' film "Auf der Anderen Seite", for which she was awarded the European Parliament's Film Prize, the LUX Prize", said Doris Pack, chairwoman of the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education.

 Much like Auf der anderen Seite by Fatih Akin (2007), Le silence de Lorna by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (2008) and Welcome by Philippe Lioret (2009), the 2010 LUX Prize-winning film will benefit from the financial support of the European Parliament. It covers subtitling in all the official languages of the EU, the adaptation of the original version for people with visual or hearing impairments, as well as producing a 35 mm print per member state or contributing to the DVD release.

The films competing for the 2010 LUX Prize films will be revealed later this year, after selection by a qualified and impartial jury. You will find more information about the eligibility criteria and the selection process on http://www.lux-prize.eu/. Any additional information can be obtained by emailing lux-prize@europarl.europa.eu.

Bruno Chatelin