This year's award-winners were announced by the European Film Academy at the European Film Awards Ceremony held on Saturday December 11 in Barcelona. French films made their mark on the awards list, including "Chorists," "Look at Me" and "I'll Wait for the Next One."
Bruno Coulais was voted European Composer 2004 for his music for "Chorists" (aka "The Chorus"). The film's director, Christophe Barratier, accepted the award from Jean-Marc Barr, stating in faultless Spanish that "music is the lead actor in the film. In honoring its music, you are honoring the film, and that is marvelous."
Cannes award-winners, Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri picked up the European Screenplay 2004 award for "Look at Me" (aka "Like an Image"). "I'll accept the award and she will make the speech," declared Jean-Pierre Bacri, leaving his co-writer and partner in the film, Agnès Jaoui, to thank the members of the Academy in French and Spanish: "I would just like to say that I hope there will be other celebrations of European cinema like this one. I hope that we will truly be able to see all of our European films in Europe and that there will be more and more aid for distribution and production."
Prior to presenting the award for Best Film produced outside Europe to Wong Kar-Wai for "2046," Patrice Chéreau also explained in both French and Spanish, that "there is not a single European film culture but European film cultures. Each culture expresses itself in its own way. In a world threatened by standardization, we must show concern for diversity."
Finally, after traveling to every corner of the globe, Philippe Orreindy received the EFA for Best Short Film for "I'll Wait for the Next One…"
