Idan Weiss has received a best actor nomination at the 38th European Film Awards for his portrayal of Franz Kafka in Agnieszka Holland’s Franz, marking a major international success for the Prague-shot Czech co-production. The nomination in one of the key competitive categories highlights both Weiss’s breakout performance and the film’s growing recognition across Europe.
Selected by more than 5,400 members of the European Film Academy, Weiss joins a field of nominees that includes some of the most established actors in contemporary European cinema. For the Czech film industry, his nomination represents a rare moment of visibility in a category typically dominated by larger national industries.
The accolade arrives amid increasing global attention for Franz, which serves as Poland’s Oscar entry for best international feature and continues to expand its international distribution footprint following festival premieres from Toronto to San Sebastián.
Weiss’ breakthrough role stands out in a competitive field
Weiss, a German actor making his first appearance in a leading film role, stands alongside four major performers nominated for best actor this year: Sergi López for Sirāt, Mads Mikkelsen for The Last Viking, Toni Servillo for La Grazia, and Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value. The lineup underscores the weight of Weiss’s nomination, placing him among a group of internationally acclaimed veterans.
Producers say the recognition reflects both the film’s wider resonance and Holland’s decision to cast Weiss early in the process. “It’s an acknowledgment not only of an exceptional performance, but also of the work of our entire team,” producer Šárka Cimbalová said in the film’s announcement.
Holland called Weiss “a miracle that sometimes happens,” noting that his audition immediately convinced the creative team. Weiss was also one of the last actors chosen by renowned casting director Simone Bär before her death in 2023. Weiss prepared intensely for the role, reportedly isolating himself for two months and venturing out only after dark to better inhabit Kafka’s sense of solitude. His performance has been widely singled out by critics.
The Prague Reporter previously wrote that his portrayal “is destined to become the definitive vision of Kafka for future generations,” and added that Franz “soars almost any time that Weiss is on screen as the central character, a walking enigma who understands himself no better than the audience.”
The European Film Academy’s nomination follows the film’s strong showing on this year’s EFA longlist, where Franz appeared among 67 shortlisted films from 34 countries. Titles on the list included high-profile works such as Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, and François Ozon’s The Stranger.
From 44 narrative features, 15 documentaries and eight animated films, the academy selected the finalists for its top acting and craft categories. Additional technical nominations will be announced on Nov. 26, with winners revealed at the Jan. 17 ceremony in Berlin.
Prague-shot production gains momentum ahead of awards season
Shot across central Prague and produced by Marlene Film Production in collaboration with partners in Germany and Poland, Franz recounts Kafka’s life from his 19th-century childhood in Prague to his death in 1924. The film blends historical dramatization with heightened, stylized sequences, including contemporary scenes set around the Kafka Museum, Old Town Square and Golden Lane.
The film has accumulated a wide festival record, with premieres at Toronto, San Sebastián, Busan, Vancouver, Chicago and Cairo, and it secured multiple awards at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, including best film and best actor for Weiss. Internationally, it has been picked up by distributors across Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and North America, where Cohen Media Group will release it in a qualifying run later this year.
For the Czech industry, Weiss’s nomination marks a notable achievement in a year with strong European competition. It also highlights Holland’s long-standing collaborations in the region, following Czech-backed works such as Charlatan and Green Border. With Franz now positioned for both European Film Awards recognition and the upcoming Academy Awards race, the film’s international prospects are expected to grow further.
The 38th European Film Awards ceremony will take place on Jan. 17, 2026, in Berlin.
