These are the winners of the Excellence Awards 2023

The European Film Academy revealed the winners of the Excellence Awards.

The winners in these eight categories honouring the different arts and crafts of film making will receive their awards at the festive award ceremony of the 36th European Film Awards taking place on 9 December in Berlin. A special eight-member jury decided on the winners in the following categories based on the European Film Awards Feature Film Selection.

European Cinematography
Rasmus Videbæk for THE PROMISED LAND

The jury: “The poetic cinematography in THE PROMISED LAND illustrates perfectly that Rasmus Videbæk knows exactly where to push forward and where to stand back. Visually powerful, he doesn’t draw too much attention to the camera, leaving story and characters the room they deserve, be it working on the harsh Danish heath or inside the lodgings of the workers around Captain Ludvig Kahlen and the impressive mansion of the local sovereign.”

European Editing:
Laurent Sénéchal for ANATOMY OF A FALL

The jury: “As this psychological drama slowly unfolds, Laurent Sénéchal’s editing is a main part of the story’s architecture. What is withheld and what is revealed at what time keeps surprising the viewer, adds to our impression of the characters and gives the story its pace. New bits of information keep changing what we thought we knew.”

European Production Design:
Emita Frigato for LA CHIMERA

The jury: “Matching completely different styles, Emita Frigato’s production design creates the spaces in which this fairy tale can really unfold. In a perfect balance, precise historical knowledge of both ancient Italian art and of this part of Italy in the 1980s is joyfully mixed with a kind of magic realism. All rooms and spaces contain a reality that is supported by textures, trinkets and kitchen utensils, never taking over the story but enhancing what happens and the characters who are in it.”

European Costume Design:
Kicki Ilander for THE PROMISED LAND

The jury: “We see delicate and smart work which helps to build true characters full of emotions. The costume designer leads us through the story quietly, not rushing, knowing the right amount of what we need to see, and when. The defined development of the characters is almost imperceptible – up to the climactic scene when the perfect spot of blood sets the last tone. There is nothing to add and nothing to take off, it‘s just perfect.”

European Make-up & Hair:
Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí & Montse Ribé for SOCIETY OF THE SNOW

The jury: “The enviable achievement in make-up and hair for SOCIETY OF THE SNOW combines great care for continuity and a profound knowledge of the time. With great accuracy, we witness how hair and beards grow and how skin changes over time in a life-threatening environment. On top of that, a lot of care was put into making actors resemble the real people in this terrifying real-life drama.”

European Original Score:
Markus Binder for CLUB ZERO

The jury: “The original score of CLUB ZERO is an essential and seamlessly integrated part of the film. The score effectively conveys the character of the teacher, magnetically pulling viewers into the narrative. It carries a ritual significance, creating a deep emotional connection as the music gradually unfolds and reveals its purpose. What sets this score apart is its originality. It intentionally strays from being overly refined and polished, creating a raw and distinctive timbre sound that represents the students’ perspective on a distorted reality.”

European Sound:
Johnnie Burn & Tarn Willers for THE ZONE OF INTEREST

The jury: “Taking on a main role in THE ZONE OF INTEREST, the sound is the only hint to the horrors that happen on the other side of the wall of a beautiful family garden. What we do not see, we hear. There is an exceptional amount of detail, creating a space with sounds that feels natural, at the same time keeping you alarmed.”

European Visual Effects:
Félix Bergés, Laura Pedro for SOCIETY OF THE SNOW

The jury: “In this real-life drama of a plane crash in the Andean mountains, we never question what we see. Excellent visual effects and well-done compositing makes everything look like it was filmed on location and happened on camera. Throughout the film this illusion is never broken.”