Outline:
The European Film Awards this year, the European equivalent of the Oscars that celebrates outstanding accomplishments in European filmmaking, have been announced… And it was a night filled with victories for Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s heartfelt and complex family drama.Sentimental Value.
The movie achieved a complete victory, taking home six awards, including the highly sought-after Best European Film.
It outperformed 14 other films, including Jafar Panahi’s captivating Palme d’Or winnerIt Happened by Chance It Was Simply an Incident It Was Just a Mishap It Was an Unintended Event It Occurred Accidentally It Was an Unplanned Accident It Was Just an Oversight It Was an Unintentional Mistake It Was a Casual Incident It Was an Unexpected Accident, Oliver Laxe’s bone-shaking post-apocalyptic journeySirāt, and Mascha Schilinski’s breakthrough filmSound of Falling.
Trier received the Best Director award for his examination of troubled family relationships, and also won Best Screenplay in collaboration with his long-time writing partner Eskil Vogt.
In our review of Sentimental Value, we wrote: “Even though the conclusion is something you’ll likely figure out by the end of the first act,Sentimental Valuedoes coalesce into a sophisticated tribute to giving one’s all and how, in certain instances, life and creativity can merge to produce something more significant.Read the complete review here.
Renate Reinsve received the Best European Actress award forSentimental Value, reinforcing once again how her collaboration with Trier leads to success, followingThe Most Disagreeable Individual in the World, and how the actress is among the most captivating on-screen personalities in global cinema. Her victory came after Stellan Skarsgård received the Best European Actor award for his portrayal of a distant father in Trier’s movie. His acceptance speech was short and direct: “It feels like coming home. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Brief, delightful, and perhaps somewhat fleeting. Nevertheless, a well-deserved honor for Skarsgård, whorecently won a Golden Globeand solidifies his status as a leading candidate for the Oscars in March.
Sentimental Valuealso received the Best Score award (Hania Rani).
The outcome was somewhat expected, as the EFAs have a tendency to give multiple awards to the same film, which often limits the diversity of recognition, to be honest. This was the situation.last year with Emilia Pérezand also two years prior to this forAnatomy of a Fall.
It’s difficult to be overly annoyed when the winning film isone of our top picks of the year; however, we emphasize again our previous years’ suggestion that certain rules and criteria might need to be adjusted to ensure a broader range of films are recognized at the conclusion.
Go down to see the list of this year’s EFA winners.
Elsewhere, the major standout of the night was Oliver Laxe’sSirāt, another of our top movies from 2025It won five awards: Best Production Design (Leila Ateca); Best Sound Designer (Laia Casanovas); Best Editing (Cristóbal Fernández); Best Cinematography (Maura Herce); and Best Casting Direction (Nadia Acimi, Luis Bértolo, and Maria Rodrio).
In our review of Sirāt, we wrote: “Whether you fully support the journey to oblivion or the bold attempts”Sirātoffers, Laxe creates an exhilarating and disorienting experience that you’ll undoubtedly carry with you. Its effect will echo in your thoughts and body.”Read the complete review here.
Sound of Fallingonly won Best Costume (Sabrina Kramer), while Yorgos Lanthimos’Bugoniaincredibly returned home with just Best Makeup and Hair (Torsten Witte).
The most unexpected moment of the night arrived in the form of a major snub: Jafar Panahi’sIt Happened by Chance It Was Simply an Accident It Was Just a Mishap It Was an Unintended Event It Was an Accidental Occurrence It Was Just an Oversight It Was an Unplanned Incident It Was an Unintentional Mistake It Was a Casual Mishap It Was an Unexpected Accident went home empty-handed.
A ceremony filled with political tension and a serious atmosphere
Although the ceremony proceeded smoothly and included highlights showcasing cinema, hosted by Mark Cousins, whose energy and excitement were as usual, the event was politically intense from the start.
A dissenting Iranian director, Jafar Panahi, was brought to the stage at the beginning of the event, introduced by Cousins as “one of the greatest filmmakers in the world.”
Panahi kicked off the 38th EFAs with a remark regarding Iran and the latest violent actions carried out by the authoritarian regime in Tehran.
If the world fails to react to this obvious violence today, not only Iran but the whole world is in danger,” stated Panahi. “When violence goes unchallenged, it becomes accepted. It spreads. It turns into a virus. When truth is silenced somewhere, freedom is harmed everywhere. In that case, no one is secure, anywhere across the globe. Not in Iran. Not in Europe. Not in America.
He stated: “Our responsibilities as filmmakers and artists are more challenging than ever. If we are dissatisfied with politicians, we should at least avoid staying quiet. Because silence during difficult times is not neutrality. It is an involvement in the darkness.”
Unfortunately, Panahi had to cancel his press obligations earlier in the day – Live Streaming Movie Film Online was set to have a one-on-one interview with the director – however, the EFAs providing the director with an opportunity to speak about the constraints of censorship and the ongoing oppression caused by recurring violence among the Iranian population was a particularly clever move.
Numerous award winners also voiced their support for the people of Iran, while highlighting several other concerns raised by a series of recent alarming news stories: Donald Trump “stealing an award he isn’t entitled to”; the distinction between filmmakers and politicians since “filmmakers collaborate, unlike politicians who start wars”; the sanctity of children’s eyes, particularly in times of conflict; and European values facing challenges.
Not that there wasn’t a bit of escape. One of the most unforgettable moments of the night was European Film Academy president Juliette Binoche presenting this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Norwegian film icon Liv Ullmann.Persona, Scenes From A Marriage).
A clearly emotional Ullmann stepped onto the stage to receive the award. “I’m very, very thankful,” she said, prompting a standing ovation. Yet, even in that moment, the atmosphere returned to the present situation.
“The world is bizarre, frightening, and hard to understand – but films can help people understand why we are specifically afraid right now,” said Ullmann, who also noted how strange it was that the Nobel Prize was “suddenly being awarded to someone else” – referring to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.recently awarding her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump, a move which generated much disbelief in Norway.
In Norway, we have regulations in place — if a Nobel Prize is used improperly, it can be revoked. Therefore, someone in the United States will soon face disappointment.
A predictor of the US award season?
This year’s event was held in Berlin at the House of World Cultures – and occurred later than usual. The EFAs usually take place at the end of the year, and the 2026 awards are scheduled right in the middle of the international awards season, aiming to solidify the EFAs as Europe’s proper equivalent to the glamorous American ceremony.
Hollywood is paying attention. There has been a rise in non-English films competing in significant categories beyond Best International Feature, indicating that major American award ceremonies are gradually becoming more inclusive of global cinema.
Let’s hope that the upcoming Oscar nominations (to be revealed on Thursday, January 22) will keep highlighting just how much European cinema has no reason to feel inferior to Hollywood in terms of creating exceptional films. You can be certain thatSentimental Valuewill be going to the Oscars with a fresh feeling of self-assurance.
Here is the list of this year’s EFA recipients:
Best European Film
- WINNER: SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden) -Directed by Joachim Trier
- Afternoons of Solitude (Spain, France) – Directed by Albert Serra
- ARCO (France) – Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
- DOG OF GOD (Latvia, United States) – Directed by Raitis Ābele & Lauris Ābele
- FUME OR DEATH! (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy) – Directed by Igor Bezinović
- IT WAS MERELY AN UNINTENTIONAL INCIDENT (France, Iran, Luxembourg) – Directed by Jafar Panahi
- LITTLE AMELIE (France) – Directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
- OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE (Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Chile) – Directed by Irene Iborra Rizo
- BRIEFENSTAHL (Germany) – Directed by Andres Veiel
- SIRAT (Spain, France) – Directed by Oliver Laxe
- Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Ukraine, France, Denmark, Sweden) – Directed by Olha Zhurba
- SOUND OF FALLING (Germany) – Directed by Mascha Schilinski
- STORIES FROM THE MAGIC GARDEN (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France) – Directed by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec,
- The Voice of Hind Rajab (France, Tunisia) – Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
- WITH HASAN IN GAZA (Germany) – Directed by Kamal Aljafari
Best European Director
- WINNER: Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE
- Yorgos Lanthimos for BUGONIA
- Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
- Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
- Mascha Schilinski for SOUND OF FALLING
European Actress
- CHAMPION: Renate Reinsve in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
- Leonie Benesch in Late Shift
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in DUSE
- Léa Drucker in CASE 137
- Vicky Krieps in LOVE ME TENDER
European Actor
- WINNER: Stellan Skarsgård in SENTIMENTAL VALUE
- Sergi López in SIRĀT
- Mads Mikkelsen in The Last Viking
- Toni Servillo in La Grazia
- Idan Weiss in FRANZ
European Screenwriter
- WINNER: Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE
- Santiago Fillol and Oliver Laxe for SIRĀT
- Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
- Mascha Schilinski and Louise Peter for SOUND OF FALLING
- Paolo Sorrentino for LA GRAZIA
Best European Documentary
- WINNER: FIUME O MORTE!
- AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
- RIEFENSTAHL
- Songs of Slow Burning Earth
- WITH HASAN IN GAZA
Best Animated Feature Film from Europe
- WINNER: ARCO
- DOG OF GOD
- LITTLE AMELIE
- OLIVIA AND THE INVISIBLE EARTHQUAKE
- STORIES FROM THE MAGICAL GROVE
European Discovery – FIPRESCI Prize
- CHAMPION: ON FALLING (United Kingdom, Portugal) – Directed by Laura Carreira
- SMALL TROUBLE GIRLS (KAJ TI JE DEKLICA) (Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia) – Directed by Urška Djukić
- MY FATHER’S SHADOW (United Kingdom, Nigeria) – Directed by Akinola Davies Jr
- A Day Like That When Hemme Dies (Turkey, Germany) – Directed by Murat Fıratoğlu
- SAUNA (Denmark) – Directed by Mathias Broe
- Beneath the Gray Sky (Poland) – Directed by Mara Tamkovich
European Young Audience Award
- CHAMPION: SIBLINGS (Italy) – Directed by Greta Scarano
- ARCO (France) – Directed by Ugo Bienvenu
- I Accidentally Wrote a Book (Hungary, Netherlands) – Directed by Nóra Lakos
Stay connected to Live Streaming Movie Film Online for our special interview with Oliver Laxe (Sirāt), as well as our standout moments from this year’s EFA red carpet.