It's not an Oscar, but Israel wins first European Academy Awards

BERLIN - Sasson Gabai was named Actor of the Year by the European Film Academy on Saturday for his role in the Jim Jarmuschesque comedy "The Band's Visit." The film's director, Eran Kolirin, won European Discovery of the Year, marking the first time Israeli artists have taken awards in this prestigious competition since Israel joined the academy in 2004.

"Helen Mirren was the European Actress of the Year and I'm European Actor of the Year, so it's nice to be in such exalted company," Gabai told Army Radio.

He offered a special thanks to Kolirin "for giving me [the role of] Tawfiq," the leader of the Egyptian police band that gets lost on a visit to Israel and winds up in a small town in the Negev. Gabai beat five other nominees, including French actor Michel Piccoli.

Kolirin topped three other directors who were nominated with their premiere films in the European Discovery 2007 category. "I would like to thank everyone who worked with me on the film," he said.

The European Film Academy's award winners are chosen in a vote by the academy's 1,700 members throughout the continent. Some 18 Israeli film professionals are members of the academy.

"This winds up a wonderful year in Europe," said the director of the Israel Film Foundation, Katriel Shechori. "It establishes Israel's success on the continent and greatly contributes to the Israeli-European confederation."

The Berlin awards for "The Band's Visit" add to the film's already respectable showing at international festivals.

The film has captured the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes, the Best Film award at the Tokyo festival and the Audience's Award in Sarajevo and Warsaw, among other honors. Kolirin has won the New Talent Award in Zurich. In Israel, "The Band's Visit" took the Best Film award at the Jerusalem Film Festival, as well as six Ophir (Israeli Oscar) awards.

"The Band's Visit" was barred from competing in the Academy Award's Foreign Language category because much of the movie's dialogue is in English.