Dumbledore heads to Malta for European Film Awards

Harry Potter’s Michael Gambon and former James Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen will be among the stars announcing the plaudits at the European Film Awards on December 1 in Valletta.

Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) will be among the presenters at the European Film Awards, taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on December 1.
Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) will be among the presenters at the European Film Awards, taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on December 1.

In just over a week's time, the Mediterranean Conference Centre will welcome an international gathering of film stars as it hosts the European Film Awards on December 1.

LISTEN: Counting down to the EFAs | Podcast

Serving as the Silver Jubilee edition of the awards - which were founded by German director Wim Wenders in 1988 with the aim of bringing together the continent's top cinematic talent – this year's edition will welcome veteran UK actor Sir Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) and former Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen – also nominated for a Best Actor award for his performance in Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt – as presenters at the show.

They will be joined by Moritz Bleibtreu (actor, Germany), Kim Rossi Stuart (actor, Italy), Danis Tanovic (director, Bosnia & Hercegovina), Amira Casar (France), Carice van Houten (The Netherlands), Caterina Murino (Italy) and Marisa Paredes (Spain), their male colleagues Grigory Dobrygin (Russia), Thure Lindhardt (Denmark) and Sergi Lopez (Spain) together with directors Alexei Popogrebsky (Russia), Jim Sheridan (Ireland) and Malta's own Marama Corlett - star of Sky One TV series Sinbad.

READ MORE: The Hunt | Film Review

During the ceremony, British Helen Mirren (The Queen) will be honoured with the European Achievement in World Cinema award, Bernardo Bertolucci will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award and Helena Danielsson will get the European Co-Production Award 2012 - Prix EURIMAGES.

The evening will be embellished with a unique Maltese touch, as local folk-pop band Brikkuni will perform during the ceremony. 

Among the guests of the ceremony will also be Austrian Minister for Arts and Culture, Claudia Schmied, German State Minister for Culture and the Media, Bernd Neumann, Cultural Minister Meli Kraniqi (Kosovo) and Zaneta Jaunzeme-Grende (Minister for Culture, Latvia).

The script for the show was written by Maria von Heland and Roland Slawik, Maltese architect and designer Carlo Schembri designed the set.

German comedienne Anke Engelke, a familiar face at the European Film Awards, will be hosting the ceremony for the fourth time

The European Film Awards are produced by EFA Director Marion Döring and Jürgen Biesinger (executive producer).