The winners of the 2023 European Film Awards were announced live from Berlin on Saturday, 9 December. Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning film, Anatomy of a Fall, emerged as the big winner of the night, taking home multiple major prizes including Best European Film.
The European Film Academy recognized outstanding achievements across cinema from across the continent, honoring 11 films from 10 different countries across categories that celebrate feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, and technical crafts. Alongside the competitive awards, the Academy paid tribute to veteran artists for their lasting contributions to film. English stage and screen icon Vanessa Redgrave received the European Lifetime Achievement Award, while Spanish director Isabel Coixet was acknowledged with the European Achievement in World Cinema award for her significant career and influence.
Anatomy of a Fall dominated the evening, claiming Best European Film over contenders such as Fallen Leaves, Green Border, Me Captain and The Zone of Interest. The film also earned accolades for direction, screenplay, editing, and acting. Actress Sandra Hüller, who was notably nominated twice in the same acting category for her roles in Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, was awarded European Actress for her work in Anatomy of a Fall.
The awards night was presented to a broad international audience and made accessible through the European Film Academy’s official channels, offering viewers the opportunity to watch the ceremony and celebrate the vibrancy of European cinema. The winners reflect a wide range of styles, themes and national cinemas, showcasing both established names and emerging talents.
The winners of the 2023 European Film Awards (EFAs) are listed below:
European Film – Anatomy of a Fall
Nominees: Fallen Leaves; Green Border; Me Captain; The Zone of Interest
European Young Audience Award – Scrapper
Nominees: Longing for the World; One in a Million
European Discovery – Prix Fipresci – How to Have Sex
Nominees: 20,000 Species of Bees; La Palisiada; Safe Place; The Quiet Migration; Vincent Must Die
European Documentary – Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Nominees: Apolonia, Apolonia; Four Daughters; Motherland; On the Adamant
European Animated Feature Film – Robot Dreams
Nominees: A Greyhound of a Girl; Chicken for Linda!; The Amazing Maurice; White Plastic Sky
European Short Film – Hardly Working
Nominees: 27; Aqueronte; Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays; Flores Del Otro Patio
European Director – Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
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)
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)
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)
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 results underline the diversity and creative strength of contemporary European filmmaking. From intimate dramas and innovative debuts to documentary storytelling and technical craft, the 2023 European Film Awards highlighted films and artists who continue to shape the cinematic landscape across Europe. Celebrating both established figures and rising talents, the ceremony reaffirmed the Academy’s role in recognizing excellence and promoting European cinema to audiences worldwide.