Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value emerged as the big winner at the 2026 European Film Awards, taking home an impressive six accolades, including Best European Film. The film, which also triumphed in several key categories, was followed closely by Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, which secured five awards.
Sentimental Value Takes the Lead
Sentimental Value dominated the evening, securing the top prize as well as Best Director for Joachim Trier. Renate Reinsve won Best Actress, and Stellan Skarsgård claimed Best Actor for their performances. The film, which was awarded the Cannes Grand Prix, explores the strained relationship between two sisters and their estranged father, a former film director. Trier, reflecting on the recognition, remarked, “Even though we made a film about a dysfunctional family, this group and gang behind me has made me feel the opposite.”
The film also garnered the Best Screenwriter award for Trier and Eskil Vogt, alongside the Best Original Score for Hania Rani, cementing its place as the evening’s top performer.
Sirat and Other Notable Wins
Sirat, which jointly won the Cannes Jury Prize, found success in the craft categories, winning Best Cinematography (Mauro Herce), Best Editing (Cristóbal Fernández), and Best Production Design (Laia Ateca). It also received awards for Best Sound Design (Laia Casanovas) and Best Casting (Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo, and María Rodrigo).
Fiume O Morte!, a documentary by Igor Bezinović that reenacts the 1919 occupation of Fiume by poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, won the Best Documentary award. In the animation category, Arco by Ugo Bienvenu claimed the Best Animated Feature Film prize. The film, a 2D computer animation, tells the story of a young girl who witnesses a mysterious boy fall from the sky from a distant, time-traveling future.
Other winners included Sound of Falling, which took home the Best Costume Design award for Sabrina Krämer, and Bugonia, which won Best Make-up
