72nd Berlinale: Two Silver Bears for "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush”

• Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Meltem Kaptan as Rabiye Kurnaz
• Best Screenplay: Laila Stieler for "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush”
• Critics' favourite "A Piece of Sky" by Michael Koch receives a Special Mention
• Great success for Cologne-based Pandora Film
• "Ladies Only" by Rebana Liz John: Compass-Perspektive-Award

The award ceremony of the 72nd Berlinale has just ended in the Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz. The international jury under president M. Night Shyamalan presented two Silver Bears to the production "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush" by Andreas Dresen. The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance went to Meltem Kaptan, and screenwriter Laila Stieler was presented with the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. A Special Mention was given to "A Piece of Sky" by Michael Koch. Both films were (co-)produced by Cologne-based Pandora Film. This evening also saw the award ceremony being held for the Compass-Perspektive-Award for the best film in this section at the Kino International. The award went to the production "Ladies Only" by KHM graduate Rebana Liz John.

"Congratulations to Meltem Kaptan and Laila Stieler, and especially to Cologne-based Pandora Filmproduktion and the two film teams of 'Rabiye Kurnaz vs George W. Bush' and 'Drii Winter'. Likewise, congratulations to Rebana Liz John for the documentary 'Ladies Only'," says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. "Feature films need the limelight of festivals and attention from the audience. The 2022 Berlinale is an encouraging start into a year of cinema where the industry may again have a renewed sense of hope."

The Filmstiftung NRW was represented by a total of 11 productions at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. All 11 Filmstiftung-backed productions are still in the running for the prizes of the Independent Juries, which will be announced on Thursday (17 February), including the Amnesty International Film Award and the FIPRESCI Prize. And "Aşk, Mark ve Ölüm ("Love, Deutschmarks and Death")" in the running for the Panorama Audience Award on Saturday. In addition, the Peace Film Prize, which is open to films from all of the festival’s sections, will be presented on the final day of the Berlinale ( Sunday, 20 February) when the Audience Days also come to an end.

Information about the festival at www.berlinale.de