French delight Amelie scored four trophies at the European Film Awards on Saturday as the feel-good flick continues to charm audiences worldwide. The celebrated picture was named Best Film at the star-studded Berlin event, with Jean-Pierre Jeunet picking up Best Director honours.
Actor Ben Kingsley was named Best Actor for his role in the thriller Sexy Beast. “After my ten-year association with the European Film Academy, I hope you don’t think this was an inside job,” said the Gandhi star and EFA board member in his acceptance speech.
Star Wars hunk Ewan McGregor received a special award – the European Achievement in World Cinema gong – for his portrayal of a tortured poet in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. “When I was wee high and dreamed about being in movies, I dreamed about films full of romance and music. Baz gave me the chance to fulfil that dream,” he said. Moulin also picked up the prize for best non-European film.
Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam accepted a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the Monty Python crew. The troupe, singled out for a career which included such beloved tales as Life Of Brian and Monty Python And The Holy Grail, received the sole standing ovation of the evening.
Other winners at the 14th annual awards included French star Isabelle Huppert who picked up Best Actress honours for The Piano Teacher and British heart-throb Colin Firth, recipient of the People’s Choice award for Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
