The European Film Academy, in co-operation with the European cultural channel ARTE, has awarded the film "Rene" with the European Film Academy Documentary 2008 - Prix ARTE award.

The European Film Academy annually honors an outstanding achievement in documentary filmmaking. The recipient of the award is chosen by an independent jury and this year's jury was made up of Danish producer Karoline Leth, Finnish program director of the Moscow Film Festival, Kirsi Tykkyläinen, and British producer Alan Hayling. They screened all ten nominated documentaries at Berlin's Arsenal cinema and decided on the winner.

The jury statement regarding the winning documentary "Rene" said, "This is a film which tells a powerful story - filmed over 20 years - about an extraordinary character on the edge of society. It is a longitual documentary of outstanding quality. The jury found its examination of the relationship between subject and filmmaker fascinating and thought-provoking."

The award will be presented during the 21st European Film Awards Ceremony in Copenhagen on Saturday, December 6.