The 15 films nominated for this year’s European Film Awards are among the most outstanding of the year – and not just within Europe. The ceremony, which recognizes the pinnacle of European cinema and positions itself as the EU’s equivalent to the Oscars, was held in the heart of Switzerland this year. The results are in, with the top prize going to the French film Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard.

Emilia Pérez achieved a remarkable sweep, similar to last year’s Anatomy of a Fall, winning five awards in total. Jacques Audiard received accolades for Best European Film, Best European Director, and Best European Screenwriter: “Don’t call me Jacques Audiard – call me Jacques Award,” he joked upon receiving the latter award. The film also won Best Editing (Juliette Welfling), and as anticipated, Karla Sofía Gascón won Best European Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez. The Spanish actress, who became the first transgender actress to win the Palme d’Or for Best Actress earlier this year, deservedly took home the award. Her performance in Audiard’s film is powerful, poignant, and earnest, and her on-screen chemistry with Zoe Saldaña is captivating. Gascón concluded her speech with a heartfelt plea for acceptance and tolerance.

The EFAs have a tendency to award multiple accolades to the same film, often at the expense of variety. This pattern was evident two years ago with Triangle of Sadness, last year with Anatomy of a Fall, and again this year with Emilia Pérez. While it’s difficult to complain when the film is one of our favorites of the year, the Cannes-premiering film, which secured two Palmes on the Croisette this year and is France’s entry for the Oscars 2025, is a Mexico-set gangster trans musical featuring gender transitioning, cartels, stunning choreographies, and songs about vaginoplasty. It’s essentially Sicario on Broadway, and it’s as unexpected as it is unmissable. Read our full review here.

However, when the evening’s focus is on celebrating diversity, perhaps some rules and parameters should be adjusted to ensure a wider variety of films are recognized. It’s becoming a recurring pattern for one film to dominate the EFA awards, which doesn’t reflect well on the nominee lineup.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Abou Sangare beat out more established actors like Franz Rogowski, Ralph Fiennes, Lars Eidinger, and Daniel Craig to win Best European Actor. His role in the French film Souleymane’s Story, directed by Boris Lojkine, is deeply impactful. Sangare plays an immigrant from Guinea working for a food delivery service in Paris as he prepares for his asylum application.

Elsewhere, Best European Documentary was rightfully awarded to the hard-hitting No Other Land, directed by a Palestinian-Israeli collective composed of Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Basel Adra, and Hamdan Ballal. A co-production between Palestine and Norway, the documentary depicts resistance against forced displacement by the Israeli military. The directors called out the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Israeli government: “For the sake of Palestinians in Gaza, give us what we need right now – a ceasefire needs to be imposed.” This comment prompted an audience member to shout “Free Palestine!”

Best European Animated Film went to the stunning adventure fantasy film Flow by Gints Zilbalodis, which is the Latvian entry for next year’s Academy Awards; the European Young Audience Award was given to the poignant Norwegian documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin by Benjamin Ree; and the Croatian drama The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević won Best European Short Film.

Noteworthy this year was the Lifetime Achievement Award for Wim Wenders, presented by the European Film Academy’s new president Juliette Binoche, and the Award for European Achievement in Cinema, which went to Isabella Rossellini. The latter was a highlight of the evening, as Ralph Fiennes presented the award with humor, gravitas, and emotion, setting a high standard for the other hosts.

Rossellini was visibly moved by the award, expressing “overwhelming gratitude” and adding: “The motor of my life has been curiosity and the fuel for this motor is fun.” Overall, the ceremony was smoother than last year’s in Berlin, but it was bogged down by unnecessary cutaways about what academy members thought of the films while at a rowing club, segments more suited for tourism board videos, as well as some connection issues and clumsy guest hosting – notably by two Swiss stars whose attempts at humor fell flat.

While European cinema holds its own against Hollywood, there’s a lack of slickness and self-awareness in the presentation of this awards ceremony compared to events like the BAFTAs, Césars, Golden Globes, or the Oscars. More needs to be done to make the ceremony feel more polished – perhaps more rehearsals, shorter segments, or even hiring Ralph Fiennes to host the entire event without interruptions. Just a thought...

Here is the full list of this year’s EFA winners:

Best European Film
Best European Documentary
Best European Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Screenplay
European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI
Best European Animated Film
Best European Short Film
European Young Audience Award

Stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our exclusive interviews with Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), Wim Wenders, Juliette Binoche, Rich Peppiatt (Kneecap), and Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig).

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