Denmark's Lars Von Trier won the prize for best European film of 2011 for his movie Melancholia (2011) at a ceremony put on by the European Film Academy.

Melancholia (2011) follows two sisters, the bride Justine (Kirsten Dunst) due to get married in the sumptuous romantic castle of Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), but the union is doomed as the wayward planet Melancholia heads for Earth.

It was a good night for British talent. Colin Firth was named best actor for his Oscar-winning turn in King's Speech, The (2010) and Tilda Swinton took the best actress prize for her acclaimed performance as an anguished American mother in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). Best short film went to Terry Gilliam for The Wholly Family, the director's 20-minute fantasy about a boy's adventures in Naples.

Elsewhere, director Stephen Frears was on hand to collect this year's lifetime achievement award, honouring an eclectic career that extends back from The Queen to films such as The Drifters, Dangerous Liaisons and My Beautiful Laundrette.

Source: Press Release