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Film und Medien Stiftung NRWNewsPress7 Filmstiftung-backed films in Oscar race 2021

7 Filmstiftung-backed films in Oscar race 2021

  • „Berlin Alexanderplatz“, „Enfant Terrible“, „Fritzi – A Revolutionary Tale“, „I’ve Never Been To New York“ and „Undine“ in the selection for the German Oscar entry
  • „Exile“ (Kosovo) and „Never Gonna Snow Again“ (Poland) are another two Filmstiftung-backed films vieing for the International Feature Film Oscar
  • Oscar nominations on 15 March, 2021, Oscar awards ceremony on 25 April, 2021

Five of the 10 films, which were announced by German Films as being under consideration for the German entry to the „Best International Feature Film“ category at the 2021 Oscars, have been supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW: „Berlin Alexanderplatz“ by Burhan Qurbani (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion), „Enfant Terrible“ by Oskar Roehler (X Filme Creative Pool / Bavaria Filmproduktion), „Fritzi – A Revolutionary Tale“ by Ralf Kukula and Matthias Brun (Trickstudio Lutterbeck), „I’ve Never Been To New York“ by Philipp Stölzl (UFA Fiction / Ziegler Film) and „Undine“ by Christian Petzold (Schramm Film Koerner + Weber).

An independent selection committee will decide shortly which film will be representing Germany as the entry for the international Oscar. Whether this title then makes it to the shortlist with the 10 candidates in the „Best International Feature Film“ category, will be announced on 5 February, 2021. The Oscar nominations will follow on 15 March, 2021, the 93rd Oscars award ceremony will not be held in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre until 25 April, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

„Exile“ and „Never Gonna Snow Again” representing Kosovo and Poland

Exile“ by Visar Morina (Komplizen Film) and „Never Gonna Snow Again“ by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert (Match Factory Productions, Lava Films) are two Filmstiftung-backed international co-productions that have already been submitted to the competition for the international Oscar – for Kosovo and Poland, respectively. Visar Morina received the German Screenplay Award for „Exile“’s  screenplay, his film also won the Grand Prix at the Sarajevo Film Festival last August. „Never Gonna Snow Again“ recently celebrated its world premiere in the Competition of the 77th Venice Film Festival in September.

There has also been a remarkable response to the five films backed by the Film- und Medienstiftung, which are now in the running to become the German Oscar entry: „Berlin Alexanderplatz“ by Burhan Qurbani won five Lolas, „Undine“ by Christian Petzold received the FIPRESCI Prize and lead actress Paula Beer the Silver Bear at the Berlinale . As with the two aforementioned productions, „Enfant Terrible“ by Oskar Roehler is also in the preselection for the 2020 European Film Awards (ceremony in December 2020). „Fritzi – A Revolutionary Tale“ was presented with the German Film Critics' Award for Best Children’s Film. And Katharina Thalbach received the Ernst Lubitsch Prize 2020 for her role in „I’ve Never Been To New York“. In addition, Philipp Stölzl received the Bavarian Film Awards for directing „I’ve Never Been To New York“.