Spanish director Eva Libertad’s debut solo feature Deaf (Sorda) won the 2026 Lux Audience Award at a ceremony held in Brussels on Tuesday night.
The award, voted on by Europeans and members of the European Parliament, is given to a film that has won numerous awards since its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in 2025, including the Panorama Audience Award, which included Best New Director for Libertad, the trio for Goyas, Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars, in February, and Best Actress for Miriam Garlo and co-star Álvaro Cervantes. They each won the supporting actor award.
Co-directed with Nuria Muñoz and based on the Goya Award-nominated short of the same name and starring Libertad’s younger sister, acclaimed deaf actress Garlo, Deaf tells the story of Ángela, a deaf woman who becomes pregnant with her hearing partner’s child. As Angela faces the reality of raising a baby in a world not created for her, her anxiety about motherhood and her ability to communicate and interact with her daughter increases.
Produced by Distinto Films, Nexus CreaFilms and A Contracorriente Films and distributed internationally by Latido Films, “Deaf” was released in more than 40 countries around the world. Major distribution deals include most major regions around the world, including movies in Latin America (excluding SVOD in Brazil), Italy (Lucky Red), Australia (Madman), UK and Ireland (Curzon), Germany (Piffl), Japan (New Select), France (Condor Entertainment) and China (Wise Up Media). A Contracorriente Films released “Deaf” in Spain.
Liberta, who accepted the award on Tuesday, said she hoped the honor would “help focus on the diversity of the deaf community and the people of Europe and promote inclusive policies that improve their living conditions.”
She added: “I am convinced that it will contribute to changing the way society views diversity, so that it will no longer be seen as a problem, but as a human asset.”
A joint initiative of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in cooperation with the European Commission and European Cinema, the Lux Audience Award was established in 2007 with the aim of supporting films that foster dialogue and engagement in Europe’s public sphere, while raising awareness about some of today’s most pressing social and political issues.
The other four shortlisted films this year were Irish director Brendan Canty’s Christie; “It Was Just an Accident” by Iranian film director Jafar Panahi. “Love Me Tender” by French director Anna Cazenave Cambet. and “Sentimental Value” by Joachim Trier of Norway.
“The Lux Audience Award shines a light on films that open our eyes to experiences beyond our own. This year’s winning film, Def, does exactly that with courage, warmth and rare authenticity,” said Sabine Verheyen, Vice-President of the European Parliament.
“Director Eva Libertad gives us an unforgettable window into the life of a deaf woman navigating motherhood in a world not made for her. Led by the stunning performance of deaf actress Miriam Garo, this film challenges us to listen differently and to build a Europe where no one is left behind,” she added.
Former European Film Academy president Mike Downey, honorary chairman of this year’s selection committee, said the “extraordinary” winning films were more than just “deserving recipients of this prestigious award”.
“European cinema has a rich history of tackling complex social issues with depth and artistic integrity,” Downey said. “Across the fault lines of war, migration and environmental issues, fighting for human rights and cultural diversity, European filmmakers have consistently used their craft to provoke thought and action over the years. ‘Solda’ embodies these qualities perfectly, and this is what sets European cinema apart from much of the world’s cinema.”
“Deaf” will then head to New York for “And Goya Goes – New Spanish Cinema”, an event promoting Spanish cinema organized by the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, the ICAA Film Agency and the Export Investment Commission ICEX. This year’s event will be held from April 16th to 19th.
