The authoritative film award of the “Old World”, in addition to awards from class “A” film festivals, is the prize of the European Film Academy. The awards ceremony takes place in November-December, as if summing up the results of the cinematic year. Thus, the films awarded this “Euro Oscar” deserve double attention. After all, most of them have already managed to make themselves known at many prestigious film forums.
The prize was established in 1988. Despite the fact that the EuroOscar is relatively young, it has already formed a fairly large “guild” of filmmakers who have collected several such awards.
For example, three directors received the main award of the European Film Academy “For Best Film” three times: Michael Haneke, Gianni Amelio and Lars Von Trier.
The latest director today who managed to achieve this kind of cinematic hat-trick is the Austrian Haneke. In 2012, this prestigious award was awarded to his film “Love”, and before that – “White Ribbon” (2009) and “Hidden” (2005).
Dane Lars Von Trier received the main Euro-Oscars for Melancholia (2011), Dancer in the Dark (2000) and Breaking the Waves (1996). And in 2008, he also received a lifetime achievement award.
Italian director Gianni Amelio received awards for best film with enviable regularity – once every two years for Open Doors (1990), The Child Snatcher (1992) and L’America (1994).
Three other directors have received this prize twice: Pedro Almodovar, Ken Loach and Paolo Sorrentino.
None of the actors has yet managed to collect more than two statuettes “for best role.” However, six actors each received two such awards: Daniel Auteuil, Toni Servillo, Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Carmen Mauri and Charlotte Rampling.
Auteuil was noted for the 1992 film “Heart of Ice” (dir. Claude Sautet) and for the aforementioned film “The Hidden” (2004).
Binoche received her first statuette in 1992 for “Lovers from the New Bridge” (dir. Leo Carax). And the second in 1996 for the film “The English Patient” (dir. Anthony Minguelete). In addition, in 2001, she also received the European Film Academy Audience Award for her role in the film “Chocolate” (dir. Lasse Hallström).
Tony Servillo received statuettes for his leading roles in Paolo Sorrentino’s films “Amazing” (2008) and “The Great Beauty” (2013).
Isabelle Huppert was first awarded an Academy statuette only in 2001 for her role in the film “The Pianist” (dir. Michael Haneke). And she received her next “Euro-Oscar” a year later – for her role in the film “Eight Women” (dir. Francois Ozon). True, the second award was given not only to Huppert, but to the entire ensemble of actresses who played eight main roles in this detective melodrama: Fanny Ardant, Catherine Deneuve, Virginie Ledoyen and others. However, in 2009, Huppert was awarded a prize for lifetime achievement.
The Spanish Carmen Maura received these statuettes from the films “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” (1988, directed by Pedro Almodóvar) and “Ay, Carmela!” (1990, dir. Carlos Saura).
Last year, actress Charlotte Rampling joined the ranks of record-breaking actors. In 2003, she received this award for François Ozon’s detective story “The Swimming Pool”, and in 2015 – for Andrew Hay’s “45 Years”. In addition, last year she also received a lifetime achievement award from the European Film Academy.