Inspired by a successfully and passionately run model in Québec, the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois (PCCQ), Filmfest Hamburg and the European Film Academy (EFA) launched in 2016 the European University Film Award (EUFA) - presented and voted by European university students. The aim of this initiative is to involve a younger audience, to spread the "European idea" and to transport the spirit of European cinema to an audience of university students. It shall also support film dissemination, film education and the culture of debating.
In its First Edition in 2016 it started with 13 universities from 13 different European countries. The Second Edition in 2017 already saw 20 universities from 20 different countries while we will launch the Third Edition in 2018 with 23 universities from 23 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Based on the 49 feature films and 15 documentaries eligible for the European Film Award 2018 a committee of film experts will nominate five films from five European countries for the 3rd European University Film Award. These five films will be viewed and discussed in the respective university classes and each institution selects its favourite film. One student representative for each of the 23 universities will come to Hamburg for a three-day deliberation meeting in December. During those three days the students will discuss all films together, exchange arguments and vote for the winner. The Award will be presented to the winning director as part of the 31st European Film Awards in Sevilla in December 2018.
The European University Film Award 2018 is made possible with the support of the Joachim Herz Stiftung, the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Creative Europe Desk Hamburg and the Canadian Embassy and in close collaboration with NECS–European Network for Cinema and Media Studies.

In times of growing nationalism in Europe and elsewhere we had the idea to look for a common element to foster a European understanding, to search for a common European identity defined by culture, especially by film.