PENÉLOPE Cruz and director Pedro Almodóvar have been nominated for awards at the European Cinema Academy ceremony.

Almodóvar's film Abrazos rotos ('broken embraces'), starring Cruz, joins the British box-office sensation Slumdog millionaire and French film A prophet.

Cruz, if she wins, will take away the Best Actress prize, whilst Almodóvar is a nominee for Best Director.

He will be up against Jacques Ardiard, director of A prophet, which is also nominated for the Best Script, Best Photographic Director and Best Actor awards.

Dev Patel, who played the lead in Slumdog millionaire, is up for Best Actor, whilst its director Danny Boyle will be competing with Almodóvar.

The film has also received nominations for Best Script and Best Photographic Director.

Others elected include Danish director Lars Von Trier and actress Charlotte Gainsbourg – daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin – for the film Antichrist, together with British screenplay Fish tank, written and directed by Andrea Arnold.

The nominees' announcement was made today in Sevilla, at a star-studded gathering attended by British actors Sir Ben Kingsley and John Hurt, and Spanish director Isabel Coixet.