Michael Haneke'sHidden (Cache) was the big winner atSaturday night's European Film Awards in Berlin,making off with five awards, including best film.

TheFrench-Austrian-German-Italian co-production also won best director for Haneke, best actor for Daniel Auteil,best editing for Michael Hudecek and Nadine Muse, andthe FIPRESCI critics' prize.

It was a vindicationfor Haneke, as Hiddenhas been ruled ineligible as Austria'sentry for Oscar foreign language film, having been shot in French. Haneke's enthusiasm for his EFAs seemed to grow with each award; certainly his first acceptance speech went down badly with the all-star crowd at Berlin'svast Arena stadium.

"I haven't thought of anything to say," he said. "When one is nominated so often, I ought to have thought of something [for each award]," - whether intended as a joke, it was perceived as arrogant and there were boos, but by the time his fifth award came around, Haneke was delivering more standard acceptance speeches. It was all part of an challenging night, the Academy's first self-produced event, which dramatically over-ran and was based on an elaborate culinary theme which quickly became overdone.

The night's otherbig winner and a crowd-pleaser in its native Germany, was Sophie Scholl - The Final Days, whichnetted best European actress for Julia Jentsch, andthe Jameson People's Choice Award for Marc Rothemund(Best Director) and Jentsch (best actress).

The Prix ScreenInternational for best non-European film went to George Clooney's GoodNight, And Good Luck. The director thankedthe Academy in a taped transmission..

The biggest ovationof the evening went to this year's European Film Academy Lifetime AchievementAward winner, Sir Sean Connery, and was presented by his Name Of The Rose director, Jean-Jacques Annaud. Connery proceeded to invite the entire audience -and, presumably, the TV audience watching across Europe- to attend next year's 60th Edinburgh Film Festival. "Just mentionmy name and you'll get a good seat," said the Scottish actor.

Other winners ofthe night included Paradise Now's Hany Abu-Assad and Bero Beyer (screenwriting), Don't Come Knocking's Franz Lustig(cinematography), while the European Achievement in World Cinema award went to France'scomposer Maurice Jarre.

The EFAs this year were staged around a culinarytheme, and kicked off with Academy board members including Wim Wenders and Dieter Kosslick in the kitchen cooking for guests. While it started off well, endless repetition in an over-long ceremony resulted in something of a Europudding. But, as Connery said, he enjoyed the parts of theevening which didn't work as much as those that did.

EuropeanFilm
Hidden(Cache) directed by Michael Haneke

EuropeanDirector
MichaelHaneke for Hidden (Cache)

EuropeanActress
JuliaJentsch in Sophie Scholl - The Final Days(Germany)

EuropeanActor
DanielAuteuil in Hidden (Cache)

EuropeanScreenwriter
HanyAbu-Assad & Bero Beyer, Palestine, for Paradise Now

EuropeanCinematographer
FranzLustig for Don't Come Knocking

EuropeanComposer
RupertGregson-Williams/Andrea Guerra for Hotel Rwanda,

EuropeanEditor
MichaelHudecek/ Nadine Muse for Hidden (Cache)

EuropeanProduction Designer
AlineBonetto for A Very Long Engagement

EuropeanFilm Academy Discovery - Prix Fassbinder
Accused directed by Jakob Thuese

PrixScreen International for non-European film.
GoodNight, And Good Luck, directed by George Clooney

People'sChoice Awards:

BestEuropean Director
MarcRothemund for Sophie Scholl - The Final Days

Best European Actor
OrlandoBloom in Kingdom Of Heaven

BestEuropean Actress
JuliaJentsch for Sophie Scholl - The Final Days