23rd European Film Awards - winners announced

A month after presenting their nominations, the 23rd European Film Awards announced their winners on Saturday night in Tallinn, Estonia, European Capital of Culture 2011. The Ghost Writer had led with seven nominations, and they dominated the evening by taking six of them, all except for cinematography. It won awards for Best European Film, Director, Actor, Screenwriter, Production Designer and Composer. Because of Polanski's legal troubles in the U.S., he was unable to travel to the ceremony and accepted his awards live via Skype from his Paris home.

Lebanon took the cinematography prize denied to The Ghost Writer, and also Discovery - Prix Fipresci. Sylvie Testud won the Actress award for her work in Lourdes. The team of Luc Barnier and Marion Monnier won the editing award for their work in the epic 5-and-a-half hour Carlos. The Documentary award went to Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light.

The European Film Awards are selected by more than 2,300 members of the European Film Academy, filmmakers from across Europe. 

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The winners of the 23rd European Film Awards

European Film
The Ghost Writer

European Director
Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer

European Actress
Sylvie Testud, Lourdes

European Actor
Ewan McGregor, The Ghost Writer

European ScreenwriterRoman Polanski, Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer

People's Choice Award
Mr. Nobody

Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award
Giora Bejach, Lebanon

European Editor
Luc Barnier, Marion Monnier, Carlos

European Production Designer
Albrecht Konrad, The Ghost Writer

European Composer
Alexandre Desplat, The Ghost Writer

European Discovery - Prix Fipresci
Lebanon

European Film Academy Documentary - Prix Arte
Nostalgia for the Light

European Film Academy Animated Feature Film
The Illusionist

Lifetime Achievement Award
Bruno Ganz

Co-production Award
Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan

European Achievement in World Cinema
Composer Gabriel Yared

European Film Academy Short Film
Hanoi - Warsaw