Copenhagen - Two films from Italy were in the running for the European film of the year award to be announced in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Danish Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born wife Crown Princess Mary were to add extra sparkle to the event as guests of honour at the 21st edition of the European Film Awards.

Italian entries Il Divo and Gomorrah were pitched against The Class from France, British director Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky, Spain's The Orphanage, and Waltz With Bashir - a co-production between Israel, France and Germany.

Gomorrah is based on a book by author Roberto Saviano who has been forced into hiding after death threats from the mafia, or Camorra, in Naples as he had named members of the criminal gangs.

Saviano - co-nominated for best script - was recently invited to Stockholm by the Swedish Academy to discuss threats against freedom of speech with British author Salman Rushdie.

Vying for the 2008 European Director award were Laurent Cantet for The Class, Andreas Dresen for Cloud 9, Ari Folman for Waltz With Bashir, Matteo Garrone for Gomorrah, Steve McQueen for Hunger, and Paolo Sorrentino for Il Divo.

Kristin Scott Thomas - widely acclaimed for her role in the drama I've Loved You So Long - is nominated for best actress. She will be up against Hiam Abbass in Lemon Tree, Arta Dobroshi in Lorna's Silence, Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky, Belen Rueda in The Orphanage, and Ursula Werner in Cloud 9.

Tony Servillo who stars in both Il Divo and Gomorrah was among the hopefuls for a best actor award. Others include Michael Fassbender for Hunger, Danish actors Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen in Flame & Citron, James McAvoy in Atonement, Juergen Vogel in The Wave, and Elmar Wepper in Cherry Blossoms.

Il Divo, Gommorah, and The Orphanage are also nominated for cinematograhy together with Mongol.

Awards are also presented for European Screenwriter, European Cinematographer, European Composer and the European Film Academy Prize for Excellence.

Honorary awards were to be presented to British actress Dame Judi Dench and Danish directors Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levring, Lars von Trier, and Thomas Vinterberg - co-founders of the Dogma filmmaking movement. (dpa)