BERLIN — France and the U.K. are leading the European Film Academy’s initial selection for potential nominations for this year’s European Film Awards.

EFA’s list includes 44 films from 27 countries. In the coming weeks, EFA’s 1,800 members will vote for the nominations in the various award categories.

Among the chosen titles, announced Thursday, are Joe Wright’s “Atonement,” Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky,” Laurent Cantet’s Palme d’Or winner “The Class” and Dany Boon’s “Welcome to the Sticks.”

Germany and Spain followed with three films each, not including international co-productions. Among the German contingent were Dennis Gansel’s box office hit “The Wave” and Doris Doerrie’s “Cherry Blossoms.” Spanish pics included Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Orphanage” and Francisco Javier Gutierrez’s “Before the Fall.”

The nominations will be announced on Nov. 8 at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain.

The 21st European Film Awards ceremony will take place in Copenhagen on Dec. 6.

THE EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY’S SELECTION:
“Welcome to the Sticks,” France
“A Christmas Tale,” France
“The Class,” France
“The Secret of the Grain,” France
“Atonement,” U.K.
“Happy-Go-Lucky,” U.K.
“Hunger,” U.K.
“Battle for Haditha,” U.K.
“Cherry Blossoms,” Germany
“The Wave,” Germany
“Cloud 9,” Germany
“Before the Fall,” Spain
“Caotica Ana,” Spain
“The Orphanage,” Spain
“Lorna's Silence,” Belgium
“Moscow, Belgium,” Belgium
“Flame & Citron,” Denmark
“Just Another Love Story,” Denmark
“Il Divo,” Italy
“Gomorrah," Italy
“Four Nights With Anna,” Poland
“Katyn,” Poland
“Revanche,” Austria
“It's Hard to Be Nice,” Bosnia & Herzegovina
“Zift,” Bulgaria
“Black Ice,” Finland
“Correction,” Greece
“Delta,” Hungary
“Eden,” Ireland
“Duska,” Netherlands
“O'Horten,” Norway
“Boogie,” Romania
“12,” Russia
“The King of Ping Pong,” Sweden
“Home,” Switzerland
“Three Monkeys,” Turkey
“The Karamazovs,” Czech Republic/Poland
“I Have to Sleep My Angel,” Croatia/Bosnia & Herzegovina
“I am from Titov Veles,” FYR Macedonia
“Love and Other Crimes,” Germany/Serbia
“Waltz with Bashir,” Israel/France/Germany
“Lemmon Tree,” Israel/Germany/France
“Days and Clouds,” Italy/Switzerland
“Mongol,” Russia/Germany/Kazakhstan