European Film Academy Names First Chapter Principals
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- European Film Academy appointed its first-ever cohort of chapter principals across eight filmmaking disciplines, a formal step following the 2025 introduction of member chapters covering casting, cinematography, composition, costume design, editing, hair and makeup, production design, and sound design.
- The eight principals are casting director Nina Haun, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, composer Zbigniew Preisner, costume designer Pascaline Chavanne, editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, hair and makeup artist Waldemar Pokromski, production designer Antxón Gómez Santander, and sound designer Tarn Willers.
- The role is honorary and voluntary, with principals acting as ambassadors and figureheads tasked with strengthening member connections, increasing craft visibility, and supporting cohesion across the European film community.
- Matthijs Wouter Knol, the Academy's CEO and Director, called the appointments 'a natural and important next step,' saying each principal 'represents excellence in their field of work' and the films on their CVs 'stand for the immense richness of European cinema.'
- The cohort is stacked with major collaborators of auteur directors: van Hoytema is Nolan's long-time DP and won the Oscar for Oppenheimer; Preisner scored Kieślowski's Three Colours trilogy; Mavropsaridis edited nearly all of Lanthimos's films; Pokromski worked on Schindler's List, The Pianist, The Counterfeiters, and The Zone of Interest; Willers won the Oscar for The Zone of Interest sound.
Why it matters: The European Film Academy is creating a formal structure to recognize the below-the-line disciplines that have historically been overshadowed by director-led programming, giving craftspeople a sustained voice inside the institution. With principals holding Oscars, BAFTAs, and European Film Awards, the move gives the Academy a more authoritative platform to champion those contributions across the continent.
