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Story by: Jack Foley
CRITICALLY-acclaimed abortion drama, Vera
Drake, has landed another top award for its main star, Imelda
Staunton, at the European Film Awards.
The British actress was named best actress on Saturday (December
11, 2004), at the prestigious ceremony in Barcelona.
And the win follows her success at Venice
and LA, whose critics
also bestowed best actress accolades upon her.
It also means that her chances of an Oscar nomination are also
strong.
Of the other top winners on the night, German film, Gegen Die
Wand (Head On), directed by Fatih Akin, was named the best European
film of the year.
While the best director was named as Alejandro Amenabar, for
Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside).
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Its star, the ever-excellent Javier
Bardem, was named best actor.
Amenabar's success came at the cost of compatriot, Pedro Almodovar,
whose latest offering, Bad Education,
was forced to leave empty-handed, despite being nominated for
seven awards.
However, Penelope Cruz picked up an audience award for her performance
in Italy's Non Ti Muovere (Don't Move) - an accolade voted for
by cinema-goers across Europe.
And Greek director, Theo Angelopoulos, was recognised by The
European Film Academy's Critics' Award for his film, Trilogy -
The Weeping Meadow.
Of the Hollywood movies in the running for awards, both Michael
Gondry's Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Michael Moore's Cannes-winner,
Fahrenheit 9/11, lost
out in the best non-European film category to Prix Screen International
2024, a joint French and Chinese production, directed by Wong
Kar-Wai.
The European Film Awards are staged by the European Film Academy.
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