This year’s awards race has seen an unprecedented surge for European talent with several films from continental auteurs — including Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, and Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident (a French-Iranian production from the Iranian director) — heading into the final lap as Oscar favorites. No longer relegated to the sidelines of the international circuit, European cinema is front and center in the conversation, regularly appearing on both Golden Globe and Academy Award shortlists. This year, the European Film Academy has decided to lean into this momentum with a bold strategic pivot. By shifting their premium honors, the European Film Awards (EFAs) from December to January (the 38th European Film Awards are in Berlin on Saturday), they are slotting European films directly within the global awards window, hoping to capitalize on the promotional machinery that traditionally favors Hollywood. Knol spoke to THR about the strategic calendar shift, his hopes for a European star system, and why (unlike, say, the Golden Globes) there will be plenty of politics on stage …