"Gomorra," Matteo Garrone's film which offers a look at the modern-day Italian mafia, made a sensationa the 2008 European Film Awards, sweeping the top categories with five trophies including best European film and best European director, best actor, best scrip and best photo.

Based on the nonfiction bestseller by Roberto Saviano, "Gomorra" shines a light on the dark underside of the Napolitan mafia. It won the Grand Prix in Cannes and is Italy's nominee for the 2009 Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Press Release

THE 21st EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS: THE WINNERS

At the 21st European Film Awards on 6 December 208 in Copenhagen the following were honoured:

EUROPEAN FILM 2008

GOMORRA (Gomorrah)

directed by Matteo Garrone

written by Maurizio Bracci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso & Roberto Saviano produced by Fandango, RAI Cinema

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2008

Matteo Garrone for GOMORRA (Gomorrah)

EUROPEAN ACTOR 2008

Toni Servillo in GOMORRA (Gomorrah) and IL DIVO

EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2008

Kristin Scott Thomas in IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME (I've Loved You So

Long)

EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2008

Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso & Roberto Saviano for GOMORRA (Gomorrah)

CARLO DI PALMA EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER AWARD 2008 Marco Onorato for GOMORRA (Gomorrah)

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY PRIX D'EXCELLENCE 2008 Magdalena Biedrzycka for costume design, KATYN

EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2008

Max Richter for WALTZ WITH BASHIR

EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2008

HUNGER

directed by Steve McQueen

written by Enda Walsh & Steve McQueen

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY CRITICS' AWARD 2008 - Prix FIPRESCI Abdellatif Kechiche for LA GRAINE ET LE MULET (The Secret of the Grain / Couscous)

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY DOCUMENTARY 2008 - Pix ARTE RENÉ by Helena Trestikova

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM 2008 - Prix UIP FRANKIE by Darren Thornton

EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dame Judi Dench

EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA 2008 Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levring, Lars von Trier, and Thomas Vinterberg

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD 2008

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX directed by David Yates written by Michael Goldenberg