European Film Awards: ‘Youth’ Scoops Best Film, Director & Actor For Michael Caine; Charlotte Rampling Best Actress

2ND UPDATE, WRITETHRU: In a ceremony marked by calls for freedom of speech, democracy and a united Europe, prizes were spread out amongst various countries at tonight’s European Film Awards in Berlin, including Greece, France, Sweden and Ireland. The top winners, however, hailed from Italy and England. Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth, which led the nominations, was crowned Best European Film at the ceremony. Sorrentino also won Best Director, and one of his stars, Michael Caine, was named Best Actor. An emotional night for Caine — who also received an honorary prize which has only ever been given twice before at the EFAs — the actor noted, “It’s been 50 years and I’ve never won an award in Europe. And now I’ve won two in one evening. It’s so strange because I (usually) sit in these audiences and just clap someone else. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

Sorrentino won Best Film two years ago with The Great Beauty at the EFAs, along with the directing prize and Best Actor for Toni Servillo. That movie went on to the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar but Youth is not eligible in the upcoming race as it’s predominantly in English. He said tonight that Youth is “a small film about the perception of freedom, a theme more timely than ever in Europe.”

In the Best Actress race, Charlotte Rampling, who was also the recipient of an honorary award this evening, took the prize for 45 Years. This comes about 10 months after she won the Best Actress Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for the same performance.

Rampling, who is a contender for a Best Actress Oscar nomination, was surprised by her Under The Sand and Swimming Pool director François Ozon who presented her with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She said, “Tonight confirms a dream I’ve always had. When I was a very young actress in England in the early 70s, I crossed the Channel and wanted to join forces with Europe. I always had this feeling about the mélange and diversity and importance of what Europe is and that unless I decided to leave England and work on the continent that I’d be missing something very vital of being able to share other things with other people and not remain in my simple world. I met François in my 50s, confirming this form of interiority I’ve searched for in European cinema. We very much need that Europe continues with its extraordinary voice.”

There was also a reminder from the European Film Academy, via actor Daniel Bruhl, of the plight of Ukranian director Oleg Sentsov who was convicted earlier this year of plotting terrorist attacks and sentenced to 20 years in a Russian prison. The EFA has been very vocal in the case and tonight Bruhl said, “Oleg, we will not forget you and we will keep on supporting you and your family.”

PREVIOUS, 11 AM PT: The European Film Awards are being handed out tonight in Berlin and we’re updating the winners below as they’re announced. Leading nominations for the 28th ceremony is Paolo Sorrentino’s bittersweet relfection on life, Youth. Sorrentino took the top prize from the European Film Academy for The Greaty Beauty two years ago, and went on to win the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. The EFAs regularly align with the U.S. Academy’s eventual outcome, but two of tonight’s major nominees, Youth and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster, are in English which means they are not in contention for that race whose shortlist will be unveiled next week. Of the other movies in the top EFA category, three are their countries’ reps: Sweden’s A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, France’s Mustang; and Iceland’s Rams. Check out the winners below:

WINNERS
EUROPEAN FILM 2015
Youth, dir: Paolo Sorrentino

EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2015
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

EUROPEAN ACTOR 2015
Michael Caine, Youth

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2015
Paolo Sorrentino, Youth

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2015
Marshland, dir: Alberto Rodríguez

EUROPEAN COMEDY 2015
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, dir: Roy Andersson

EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2015
Amy, dir: Asif Kapadia

EUROPEAN DISCOVERY – PRIX FIPRESCI
Mustang, dir: Deniz Gamze Erguven

EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2015
Song Of The Sea, dir: Tomm Moore

EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2015
Picnic, dir: Jure Pavlovic

EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2015
Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou for The Lobster

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
EFA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2015
Charlotte Rampling

EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2015
Andrea Occhipinti

EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2015
Vasco Pimentel & Miguel Martins for Arabian Nights – Vol I-III

EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2015
Cat’s Eyes for The Duke Of Burgundy

EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2015
Sarah Blenkinsop for The Lobster

EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2015
Sylvie Olivé for The Brand New Testament

EUROPEAN EDITOR 2015
Jacek Drosio for Body

EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2015
Martin Gschlacht for Goodnight Mommy

EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA (Honorary Award)
Christoph Waltz

HONORARY AWARD OF THE EFA PRESIDENT AND BOARD
Michael Caine