Warsaw - Spain's Pedro Almodovar won the European Director 2006 prize for his drama Volver at the gala 19th European Film Awards Saturday night in Warsaw.
Spanish actress Penelope Cruz (R) and director Pedro Almodovar (L) pose with the statuettes they received during this year's European Film Academy Awards ceremony taking place in Warsaw on 02 December 2006. EPA/RADEK PIETRUSZKA
Hollywood star Penelope Cruz is nominated for the European Actress 2006 award for her role in the film, also nominated for the prestigious European Film 2006 award.
Volver is competing with British director Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley, The Lives of Others by German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Road to Guantanamo by Brits Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross and Grbavica, an Austrian, Bosnia-Herzegovina, German and Croatian co-production directed by Jasmila Zbanic.
Composer Alberto Iglesias also won the European Composer 2006 award Saturday in Warsaw for the Volver musical soundtrack.
Prizes will be awarded to films in a total 14 categories, including Achievement in World Cinema, Documentary and short films.
French actress Sophie Marceau and Polish screen heartthrob Maciej Stuhr hosted the gala, seen as the European Oscars.
Already awarded an Oscar for his Holocaust drama the Pianist, Polish-born director Roman Polanski is due to receive a lifetime achievement award.
The show is being broadcast to nearly 60 countries across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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