Roman Polanski’s thriller The Ghost Writer was the toast of the European Film Awards, winning six prizes including best film and best director, BBC online informs. The 77-year-old director did not attend the ceremony in Estonia, appearing instead via internet.
“You have rewarded a truly European venture,” he said from his Paris home. Scotland’s Ewan McGregor (photo) was named best actor for his role in the film as a writer hired to “ghost” the memoirs of a former British prime minister. Britain’s Lesley Manville missed out on the best actress prize for her performance in Mike Leigh’s Another Year, a gong won last year by her compatriot Kate Winslet for The Reader. Lifetime achievement honours went to German actor Bruno Ganz and the Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared.
The prize for European animated feature film went to The Illusionist, a UK-French co-production about a French conjuror on tour in Scotland. “The Illusionist” is currently running in Romanian cinemas. Presented annually by the European Film Academy, the awards are decided by its 2,300 members and were first staged in 1988. Next year’s awards will be held in Berlin.
ROMANIAN PRODUCTIONS SNUBBED
Although nominated in two sections of the awards, the critics’ darling “If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle” by Florin Serban was overlooked by European voters. Nominated in the best European actor category young George Pistereanu lost to Ewan Mc Gregor. The film had also been nominated in the European Discovery of the Year but director Serban lost to the director of “Lebanon” Samuel Maoz.
“The Concert” also directed by a Romanian born director was also snubbed from this year’s awards.
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