The 38th European Film Awards (EFAs) unfolded not just as a celebration of celluloid, but as a defiant manifesto for the power of truth in an era of global fracture. Moving its traditional December slot to mid-January—a strategic pivot designed to thrust European masterpieces into the heart of the Oscar conversation—the ceremony proved that the continent’s creative pulse is beating with a fierce, urgent intensity. Against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical tides, the evening balanced the glamorous ascent of Joachim Trier’s latest triumph with sobering reminders of the world beyond the red carpet. It was a night where the ethereal beauty of Norwegian melodrama met the visceral reality of Iranian dissent, proving that while film is often an escape, it is most potent when it refuses to look away. In this new awards-season corridor, the EFAs didn’t just chase Hollywood’s momentum; they set a high-bar standard for what it means to be an artist in 2026—obstinate, vocal, and profoundly human.
A Clean Sweep for Joachim Trier
The evening’s undisputed heavyweight champion was Sentimental Value. Joachim Trier’s Norwegian melodrama secured a historic “Big Five” style victory, taking home Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (shared with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt).
The film’s emotional gravity was further anchored by its leads; Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve swept the acting honors, reinforcing the film’s position as a formidable Oscar frontrunner. Hania Rani’s haunting melodies also earned the trophy for Best Score, completing a dominant night for the production.
Technical Mastery and Animated Dreams
While Trier took the top headlines, Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt—Spain’s official Oscar submission—proved to be a technical powerhouse. The film cleaned up in the craft categories, winning for Production Design, Sound Design, Editing, and Cinematography, while also securing the EFAs’ first-ever Best Casting award.
In other categories:
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Best Costume Design: Went to Germany’s Oscar entry, Sound of Falling.
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European Animated Feature: Awarded to Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco.
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Hair and Make-up: Torsten Witte won the inaugural prize for his work on Bugonia.
Cinema as Resistance
The glitz of the ceremony was punctuated by sharp, political urgency. Iranian director Jafar Panahi received a standing ovation before the formal proceedings even began. Delivering a blistering statement on the Iranian government’s crackdown on protestors, Panahi warned that “silence in a time of crime is not neutrality… silence is participation in darkness.” His presence served as a stark reminder of the risks filmmakers face under authoritarian regimes.
The legendary Liv Ullmann, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, didn’t shy away from modern controversy either. She took a pointed jab at the political climate in the U.S., referencing the recent controversy surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize and Donald Trump, drawing cheers from the audience for her “sly” defense of democratic values.
Finally, Italian visionary Alice Rohrwacher was honored for her Achievement in World Cinema. In a moving speech dedicated to her sister, Alba, she urged the creative community to remain “obstinate and contrary” against a world increasingly viewed through the lens of “extractivism” and war.
By the time the final curtain fell, the EFAs had succeeded in their mission: they didn’t just give out trophies; they gave European cinema a louder, bolder voice on the global stage.
EUROPEAN FILM
Afternoons of Solitude
Arco
Dog of God
Fiume o Morte!, dir. Igor Bezinović
It Was Just an Accident, dir. Jafar Panahi
Little Amelie, dir. Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake, dir. Irene Iborra Rizo
Riefenstahl, dir. Andres Veiel
Sentimental Value, dir. Joachim Trier (WINNER)
Sirāt, dir. Oliver Laxe
Songs of Slow Burning Earth, dir. Olha Zhurba
Sound of Falling, dir. Mascha Schilinski
Tales From the Magic Garden, dir. David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec
The Voice of Hind Rajab, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
With Hasan in Gaza, dir. Kamal Aljafari
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR
Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia
Oliver Laxe for Sirāt
Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident
Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling
Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value (WINNER)
EUROPEAN ACTRESS
Leonie Benesch for Late Shift
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for Duse
Léa Drucker for Case 137
Vicky Krieps for Love Me Tender
Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value (WINNER)
Sergi López for Sirāt
Mads Mikkelsen for The Last Viking
Toni Servillo for La Grazia
Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value (WINNER)
Idan Weiss for Franz
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER
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
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value (WINNER)
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY
Afternoons of Solitude, dir. Albert Serra
Fiume o Morte!, dir. Igor Bezinović (WINNER)
Riefenstahl, dir. Andres Veiel
Songs of Slow Burning Earth, dir. Olha Zhurba
With Hasan in Gaza, dir. Kamal Aljafari
EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Arco (WINNER)
Dog of God
Little Amelie
Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake
Tales From the Magic Garden
EUROPEAN COMPOSER (BEST SCORE)
Hania Rani for Sentimental Value (WINNER)
Jerskin Fendrix for Bugonia
Michael Fiedler, Eike Hosenfeld for Sound of Falling
EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
Mauro Herce for Sirāt (WINNER)
Fabian Gamper for Sound of Falling
Manu Dacosse for The Stranger
EUROPEAN EDITOR
Yorgos Mavropsaridis for Bugonia
Toni Froschhammer for Die My Love
Cristóbal Fernández for Sirāt (WINNER)
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER
James Price for Bugonia
Jørgen Stangebye Larsen for Sentimental Value
Laia Ateca for Sirāt (WINNER)
EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER
Ursula Patzak for Duse
Michaela Horáčková Hořejší for Franz
Sabrina Krämer for Sound of Falling (WINNER)
EUROPEAN CASTING DIRECTOR
Yngvill Kolset Haga and Avy Kaufman for Sentimental Value
Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo and María Rodrigo for Sirāt (WINNER)
Karimah El-Giamal and Jacqueline Rietz for Sound of Falling
EUROPEAN MAKE-UP & HAIR ARTIST
Torsten Witte for Bugonia (WINNER)
Gabriela Poláková for Franz
Irina Schwarz and Anne-Marie Walther for Sound of Falling
EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER
Johnnie Burn for Bugonia
Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja and Yasmina Praderas for Sirāt (WINNER)
Gwennolé Le Borgne, Marion Papinot, Lars Ginzel, Elias Boughedir and Amal Attia for The Voice of Hind Rajab
EUROPEAN DISCOVERY – PRIX FIPRESCI
Little Trouble Girls, dir. Urška Djukić
My Father’s Shadow, dir. Akinola Davies Jr
On Falling, dir. Laura Carreira (WINNER)
One of Those Days When Hemme Dies, dir. Murat Fıratoğlu
Sauna, dir. Mathias Broe
Under the Grey Sky, dir. Mara Tamkovich
EUROPEAN YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD
Arco
I Accidentally Wrote a Book
Siblings (WINNER)
LUX AUDIENCE AWARD
Christy
Deaf
It Was Just an Accident
Love Me Tender
Sentimental Value
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM – PRIX VIMEO
Being John Smith
City of Poets (WINNER)
L’Avance
Man Number 4
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter
