Laia Ateca took best production design for Oliver Laxe's *Sirat* at the 38th European Film Awards in Berlin,

Andorran filmmaker Laia Ateca won the European Film Award for best production design for her work on Oliver Laxe's *Sirat* at the 38th European Film Awards gala on Saturday in Berlin, headquarters of the European Film Academy.

The Spanish production, starring Sergi López and leading with nine nominations, secured five technical prizes: production design for Ateca; cinematography for Mauro Herce; sound design for Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja and Yasmina Praderas; editing for Cristóbal Fernández; and casting direction for Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo and María Rodrigo, credited by Bon Dia. *Sirat* missed out on major categories such as best film, director, actor and screenplay.

Norway's *Sentimental Value*, directed by Joachim Trier, took top honours with six awards: best film, best director, best actor for Stellan Skarsgård (who faced López in the category), best actress for Renate Reinsve, best screenplay for Eskil Vogt, and best score.

The ceremony featured political undertones, including speeches by Iranian director Jafar Panahi on his country's crisis and Norwegian filmmaker Liv Ullmann on global instability.

Ateca, who has collected other awards and nominations for *Sirat*, described the win as a highlight. In comments to *Altaveu*, she noted that the nomination alone among top films felt like a victory, and claimed the prize proved "incredible". She welcomed the jury's recognition of the film's distinctive and daring approach, adding that Berlin offered a welcoming vibe of shared passion for cinema among nominees.

Fresh from a Jury Prize at Cannes, *Sirat* and *Sentimental Value* both eye potential Oscar nominations for best international feature, due for announcement on Thursday. Ateca remains a finalist for best art direction at the 18th Gaudí Awards, set for 8 February at Barcelona's Liceu.