Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Kate Winslet named best actress at European film awards

Kate Winslet was named best actress at the European Film Awards this weekend for her Oscar-winning performance in Holocaust drama The Reader.

Director Stephen Daldry collected the prize on her behalf at the ceremony, held in the German city of Bochum.

British film-maker Ken Loach received a lifetime achievement award, while Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire picked up a People's Choice prize.

Austere German drama The White Ribbon was named best European film of 2009.

The film - winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes - received additional awards for its direction and script, both collected by Austria's Michael Haneke.

Prison drama

Tahar Rahim, a French actor of Algerian descent, was named best actor at Saturday's event for his role in prison drama A Prophet.

French star Isabelle Huppert, meanwhile, received a special award for "European achievement in world cinema".

Katalin Varga, a UK co-production made in Romanian and Hungarian by British director Peter Strickland, was named "European discovery" of 2009.

Hosted by Germany for alternate years, the awards have been bestowed by the European Film Academy since 1988.

Last year's ceremony, held in the Danish capital Copenhagen, saw Italian mafia drama Gomorra won five prizes including best film.