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: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Based on the 51 feature films and 15 documentaries eligible for the European Film Award 2017 a committee of film experts nominated five films from five European countries for the 2nd European University Film Award. These five films were viewed and discussed in the respective university classes and each institution selected its favourite film. One student representative for each of the 20 universities came to Hamburg for a three-day deliberation meeting in December. During those three days the students discussed all films together, exchanged arguments and voted for the winner. The Award was presented to the Icelandic director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson for his film HEARTSTONE as part of the 30th European Film Awards in Berlin in December 2017.

The European University Film Award 2017 is made possible with the support of the Körber Foundation and the Joachim Herz Stiftung 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.