European Film Awards

On 9 December, the European Film Academy presented the European Film Awards in Berlin for the 39th time.

In view of the current global crisis symptoms, the mood was reflective. German actress Sandra Hüller, who was honoured as Best Actress, called for a minute's silence for peace, while Polish filmmaker and EFA President Agnieszka Holland recalled the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the rise in anti-Semitism and civilian victims of war at the opening of the awards gala.

The film ANATOMY OF A FALL, in which Hüller plays the leading role, won several prizes, including Best Film. Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr received an honourable mention and Lithuanian producer Uljana Kim the Eurimages Co-Production Award. In 2022, the FFC screened the documentary MARIUPOLIS 2, which she co-produced.

Georgian actress Eka Chavleishvili, who won the award for Best Actress at the 2023 FFC for her performance in BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLUEBERRY, was among the five nominees for Best European Actress.

Marjorie Bendeck, head of the co-production market connecting cottbus, and FFC programme director Bernd Buder were there on 9 December - "a good opportunity for networking, an important day for European cinema. In Agnieszka Holland, the EFA has a president who not only recently made an important, emotionally stirring film with GREEN BORDER, but also made a significant contribution to the cohesion of civil society in Poland and reminded the European film scene how important her commitment to dialogue and social issues is today," says Buder.