Jury Unveils First Seven EFA Winners

Awards for Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costumes, Hair & Make-Up, Music and Sound

The European Film Academy announces the first winners who will be honoured at this year’s European Film Awards. A special seven-member jury convened in Berlin and, based on the EFA Selection list and the additional film entries, decided on the winners in the categories cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, hair & make-up, composer and sound design.

The European Film Academy congratulates the following awards recipients:

European Cinematographer 2017 – Prix Carlo di Palma:
Michail Krichman for LOVELESSThe cold eye of Michail Krichman guides us through the film’s dark universe, consequently constructing an intense feeling of discomfort. The camera conveys a strong sense of darkness, emptiness and sadness. The choice of what is shown and what stays hidden, gives tremendous weight to every movement of the camera, every carefully constructed frame. Ascetic and well-measured cinematic means evoke an uncanny sense of anxiety, a slight internal tremor.
European Editor 2017:
Robin Campillo for BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE)From the very beginning, Robin Campillo’s editing underlines perfectly the desperate personal urgency of the ACT UP activists and their manifestations. Be it at a pharmaceutical corporation or at a conference, the edit makes the tempo and contributes to the urgency of the film in perfect harmony with framing and story.
European Production Designer 2017:
Josefin Åsberg for THE SQUAREWith great artistic sensibility, the production design in THE SQUARE elevates the film by creating a world at the edge to the surreal. In this way the scenography is able to integrate and interact with the story without ever dominating over it. This is the great artistic quality of Josefin Åsberg.
European Costume Designer 2017:
Katarzyna Lewińska for SPOORThe simplicity and clarity of the costumes intensify the images and underline the substantial message of the film. The clash between the human element and the natural environment is reflected in the texture, the colours and the design of the costumes, at the same time contributing to the personality of the characters and giving them life. They form an integral part of the storytelling, along with all the other visual elements, and together they create a powerful viewing experience.
European Hair & Make-up Artist 2017:
Leendert van Nimwegen for BRIMSTONEIn BRIMSTONE, Leendert van Nimwegen, with make-up and hair, helps the characters and their development throughout the film, from play- and colourful, to sober and sinister, the good, the bad, the young, the old. It is a perfect combination of hair and make-up to describe characters, so beautifully done, and making them real.
European Composer 2017:
Evgueni & Sacha Galperine for LOVELESSThe dark, haunting and brooding music intensifies the experience of watching the film. Beautifully written, with an intelligent use of piano effects, the score works like an extra character added to the unfortunate family. From beginning to end, the music captivates the underlying tensions, the hidden truths and lies, and guides you through the story, without being too overtly present.
European Sound Designer 2017:
Oriol Tarragó for A MONSTER CALLSThe sound design in A MONSTER CALLS is the power of imagination. Sonically, it takes us into a completely new, unknown world, and does exactly what the filmmaker wants the audience to feel when they’re watching something unfold on screen: It creates a sense of eeriness, a sense of mood, a sense of darkness … resulting in a well-crafted collaboration between sound and visuals.

The award recipients will be guests at the 30th European Film Awards on 9 December in Berlin.

Since its successful pan-European launch in November 2022 Europe’s own film and award season, the Month of European Film has been growing continuously: Starting with 35 partners from 35 countries in 2022, the Month of European Film collaborated in 2024 with 108 partners from 42 countries. The number of screenings of European films within the initiative rocketed from 1,553 in 2022 to 9,310 in 2023 to 16,140 screenings in the 2024 edition. Admissions increased from 61,199 in 2022 to 164,206 in 2023 to almost half a million admissions (467,697) in the last year. The participating partners reported that their activities during the Month of European Film increased audience interest in European films and it also makes them want to programme more European films in the future. This is the result of an evaluation with the participating partners of this unique initiative.

“The European Film Academy senses growing interest in Europe for an ‘award season’ celebrating the best European cinema has to offer,” says Mattthijs Wouter Knol, Academy CEO and Director. “With the Month of European Film we build a network and a window for the simultaneous celebration of European cinema and to bring the diversity of European film closer to home for many people: first of all to their local cinema. Only three years into the initiative we are proud and happy that the Month of European Film is becoming more and more visible across Europe and is attracting a significantly growing number of visitors from Norway to Malta, from Portugal to Georgia. In the upcoming years until the European Film Academy’s 40th anniversary in 2028, we will further build a European ‘award season’ with our partners. It is time to deepen the awareness of European film culture. It is time to bring us as Europeans closer together through the culture and values we share: cinema has that power.”

Feedback from the audience regarding the Month of European Film was also very positive: The partners reported that in an audience survey cinema visitors from across Europe saw the Month of European Film as an important celebration of European culture. They said the Month of European Film has raised their interest in European films significantly and that they would like to see more European films. It also made them feel more united with fellow Europeans.

This year, the Month of European Film will start with the nominations announcement on Tuesday 18 November 2025, with cinemas all over Europe offering a tailor-made programme for their local audience. The Month of European Film will have its grand finale on Saturday 17 January 2026 with the celebration of the European Film Awards in Berlin.

The Month of European Film is an initiative of the European Film Academy supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union, in co-operation with Europa Cinemas, CICAE, MUBI, DAFilms, Festival Scope, as well as numerous other European and local partners.

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