The winners of the 2023 European Film Awards were announced live from Berlin, Germany on Saturday 9 December. Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall dominated the evening, taking several major awards including Best European Film.
The European Film Academy recognised achievements across a broad range of filmmaking disciplines, awarding winners from ten different countries. The ceremony celebrated outstanding films, filmmakers, and performers, and honoured influential individuals for their long-term contributions to European and world cinema. Actress Vanessa Redgrave received the European Lifetime Achievement Award, while Spanish director Isabel Coixet was presented with the European Achievement in World Cinema award.
Anatomy of a Fall emerged as the most celebrated film of the night. In addition to Best European Film, it won awards for European Director and European Screenwriter for Justine Triet (with co-writer Arthur Harari), European Editing for Laurent Sénéchal, and European Actress for Sandra Hüller. Hüller was uniquely acknowledged with two nominations in the actress category for her performances in Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, ultimately taking the prize for her work in Triet’s film.
The awards honoured a variety of cinematic forms, from full-length features to short films, documentaries, animation, and technical crafts such as cinematography, production design, costume, sound and visual effects. The European Film Awards continue to highlight the diversity and creative strength of contemporary European filmmaking, showcasing both established artists and emerging talent across the continent.
The winners of the 2023 European Film Awards (EFAs) are listed below:
European Film – Anatomy of a Fall
Other nominees: Fallen Leaves; Green Border; Me Captain; The Zone of Interest
European Young Audience Award – Scrapper
Other nominees: Longing for the World; One in a Million
European Discovery – Prix Fipresci – How to Have Sex
Other nominees: 20,000 Species of Bees; La Palisiada; Safe Place; The Quiet Migration; Vincent Must Die
European Documentary – Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Other nominees: Apolonia, Apolonia; Four Daughters; Motherland; On the Adamant
European Animated Feature Film – Robot Dreams
Other nominees: A Greyhound of a Girl; Chicken for Linda!; The Amazing Maurice; White Plastic Sky
European Short Film – Hardly Working
Other nominees: 27; Aqueronte; Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays; Flores Del Otro Patio
European Director – Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
Other nominees: Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves); Agnieszka Holland (Green Border); Matteo Garrone (Me Captain); Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
European Actress – Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Other nominees: Eka Chavleishvili (Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry); Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves); Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex); Leonie Benesch (The Teachers’ Lounge); Sandra Hüller (The Zone of Interest)
European Actor – Mads Mikkelsen (The Promised Land)
Other nominees: Thomas Schubert (Afire); Jussi Vatanen (Fallen Leaves); Josh O’Connor (La Chimera); Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest)
European Screenwriter – Justine Triet, Arthur Harari (Anatomy of a Fall)
Other nominees: Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves); Gabriela Lazarkiewicz-Sieczko, Maciej Pisuk, Agnieszka Holland (Green Border); Johannes Duncker, Ilker Çatak (The Teachers’ Lounge); Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
European Cinematography – Rasmus Videbæk (The Promised Land)
European Editing – Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall)
European Production Design – Emita Frigato (La Chimera)
European Costume Design – Kicki Ilander (The Promised Land)
European Make-Up & Hair – Society of the Snow
European Original Score – Markus Binder (Club Zero)
European Sound – Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers (The Zone of Interest)
European Visual Effects – Society of the Snow
European Lifetime Achievement – Vanessa Redgrave
European Achievement in World Cinema – Isabel Coixet
Eurimages Co-Production Award – Uljana Kim
Honorary Award of the EFA President and Board – Béla Tarr
European Sustainability Award (Prix Film4Climate) – Güler Sabancı
The 2023 European Film Awards highlighted a strong year for European cinema, reflecting both artistic excellence and diverse storytelling. The ceremony reaffirmed the role of the European Film Academy in promoting and celebrating films that resonate across borders, from intimate dramas to ambitious technical achievements. Winners this year represent a cross-section of established figures and rising voices, emphasising the continuing vitality and international influence of European filmmaking.