21st European Film Awards

The 21st European Film Awards
Date	6 December 2008
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Presented by	European Film Academy
←  20th 22nd  →

The 21st Annual European Film Awards took place on 6 December 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Winners and nominees

Best European Actor

Toni Servillo – Gomorrah (Gomorra) ^[1] and Il Divo

• Michael Fassbender – Hunger
• Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen – Flame & Citron (Flammen & Citronen)
• James McAvoy – Atonement
• Jürgen Vogel – The Wave (Die Welle)
• Elmar Wepper – Cherry Blossoms (Kirschblüten – Hanami)

Best European Actress

Kristin Scott Thomas – I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime) ^[1]

• Hiam Abbass – Lemon Tree
• Arta Dobroshi – The Silence of Lorna (Le silence de Lorna)
• Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
• Belen Rueda – The Orphanage (El orfanato)
• Ursula Werner – Cloud 9 (Wolke Neun)

Best European Composer

Max Richter – Waltz with Bashir (Vals im Bashir)

• Tuur Florizoone  [ nl ] – Moscow, Belgium (Aanrijding in Moscou)
• Dario Marianelli – Atonement
• Fernando Velázquez – The Orphanage (El orfanato)

Best European Director

Matteo Garrone – Gomorrah (Gomorra) ^[1]

• Laurent Cantet – The Class (Entre les murs)
• Andreas Dresen – Cloud 9 (Wolke Neun)
• Ari Folman – Waltz with Bashir (Vals im Bashir)
• Steve McQueen – Hunger
• Paolo Sorrentino – Il Divo

Best European Film

English title	Original title	Director(s)	Country
Gomorrah [1]	Gomorra	Matteo Garrone	Italy
Il Divo		Paolo Sorrentino	Italy
The Class	Entre les murs	Laurent Cantet	France
Happy-Go-Lucky		Mike Leigh	United Kingdom
The Orphanage	El orfanato	Juan Antonio Bayona	Spain
Waltz with Bashir	ואלס עם באשיר	Ari Folman	Israel, France, Germany

Best European Screenwriter

Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso and Roberto Saviano – Gomorrah (Gomorra)

• Suha Arraf and Eran Riklis – Lemon Tree
• Ari Folman – Waltz with Bashir
• Paolo Sorrentino – Il Divo

References

1. Smith, Neil (7 December 2008). "Dame Judi honoured at Europe gala". BBC News . Retrieved 4 June 2025.