'Sirat' wins five awards at the European Film Awards

BarcelonaCatalan cinema achieved a mixed victory at the European Film Awards (EFA), which were presented this Saturday in Berlin. Sirado, by Oliver Laxe, Afternoons of solitudeby Albert Serra, and Olivia and the Invisible EarthquakeIrene Iborra's productions garnered a total of thirteen nominations. However, only the Catalan production Sirado It received recognition from the jury with five awards. Among them were Best Cinematography (Mauro Herce from Barcelona) and Best Editing (Cristóbal Fernández). Óliver Laxe's film tells the story of a father willing to venture into the deepest Moroccan desert to find his daughter, lost in a radishIt also won awards for best production design (Laia Ateca), sound design (Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja, Yasmina Praderas), and best casting direction (Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo and María Rodrigo)

The Norwegian Sentimental value was The big winner of the night, with six awards. It took home the award for best film, and Joachim Trier was recognized as best director. Trier explained that he grew up in a left-wing family and emphasized the importance of protecting freedom of expression and art: "We must remember that the other is not an enemy, and art helps us create empathy," he asserted. The jury awarded the lead actors in Trier's film, which explores family ties, memory, and, precisely, invites empathy: Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård and Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve (father and daughter in the film).

Iborra's debut animated feature film, ultimately, did not win any awards. The jury preferred Bowby the French film director and comic book artist, Ugo Bienvenu. Also, director Albert Serra, who was a candidate for Afternoons of solitudeHe left empty-handed. The award for best documentary went to River or death!Directed by Igor Bezinovic, the film recounts the peculiar 1919 siege of the Croatian city of Rijeka (Fiume in Italian).

Liv Ullmann and the Nobel Prize awarded to María Corina Machado

It was a very long ceremony with many messages in favor of peace and against fascism. "I am Norway. We gave the Nobel Prize to someone, and now it's given to someone else? If he has to despise it, we should remove him," said the multifaceted Liv Ullmann, who received the lifetime achievement award. The actress, director, and writer, who starred in many of Ingmar Bergman's films, delivered a clear anti-fascist message: "There are no others. We are all here together." The Iranian-Dutch director Sara Rajaei... City of poetsThe film, which won the award for best short film, dedicated it to the people of Iran and to his brother.

2026 European Film Awards Winners

[We write film titles respecting the title under which they were released in Catalonia; or the original title if they have not yet been released. In the case of films that include Catalan subtitles when available on platforms, we write the title in Catalan.]

Best Film

• Sentimental valuedirected by Joachim Trier

Best Animated Feature

• Bow, directed by Ugo Bienvenu

Best Documentary

• River or death!, directed by Igor Bezinovic

Best Director

• Joachim Trier by Sentimental value

Best Actress

• Renate Reinsve by Sentimental value

Best Actor

• Stellan Skarsgård by Sentimental value

Best Screenplay

• Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for sentimental value

Best photograph

• Mauro Herce by Sirado

Better assembly

• Cristóbal Fernández by Sirado

Better production design

• Laia Ateca by Sirado

Best Costume Design

• Sabrina Krämer by Sound of falling

Better makeup and hairstyling

• Torsten Witte by Bugonia

Better sound design

• Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja and Yasmina Praderas by Sirado

Best Original Music

• Hania Rani by Sentimental value

Best Casting Direction

• Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo and María Rodrigo for Sirado

Best Short Film

• City of poetsdirected by Sara Rajaei

FIPRESCI Award for Best New Film

• On falling, directed by Laura Carreira

Young Audience Award

• La vita da grandi (Siblings)directed by Greta Scarano

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Liv Ullmann

Award for European achievement in the world of cinema

• Alice Rohrwacher

Euroimages Award for Co-production

• Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski