Beginning of submission period for first Baumi Script Development Award
- Submissions under baumi-award.com until November 15, 2015
- Fatih Akin as this year’s guest judge
Dusseldorf, September 16, 2015. Last night at 6 p.m., the first round of submissions began for the Baumi Script Development Award, which is endowed with 20,000 euros in prize money. German and international screenwriters may apply exclusively online under baumi-award.com until November 15. As a prerequisite, authors must have had at least one produced screenplay; first-time screenwriters must submit along with a production company. An English treatment must be submitted. The prize money is earmarked. The award ceremony will be held during the 2016 Berlinale.
Martina Baumgartner, Reinhard Brundig (Pandora Film) and Petra Müller (Film- und Medienstiftung NRW) will decide on the submissions for the benefactors. Director Fatih Akin will act as this year’s guest judge. Karl Baumgartner and Fatih Akin were closely affiliated and friends. Baumgartner also acted as producer on “The Cut”, Akin’s latest cinema film: “Karl Baumgartner was a father figure to me. A dreamer, but the kind who made dreams a reality. Difficulties only increased his enthusiasm and ambition.”
The award pays tribute to the film producer and distributor Karl “Baumi” Baumgartner, who had an incomparable eye for high-quality art house cinema. In accordance with Baumi’s wishes, it should enable the free and independent script development of outstanding, international, cinematic stories. Martina and Sandra Baumgartner, Baumi co-founded Pandora Film, and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW launched the award earlier this year.
“Prior to the first round of submissions, we experienced an incredible outpouring of support from all sides. That showed us once again how memorable Baumi was. Now we’re looking forward to receiving a lot of good stories that reflect Baumi’s love of cinema,” said Reinhard Brundig, co-founder of Pandora Film.
“It’s an honor for us, along with the other benefactors, to put the Baumi Award out for tender. We’re very pleased by the fact that Fatih Akin, one of the most important German directors and writers, as well as a close friend of Baumi, will support the jury this year,” said Petra Müller, CEO of Filmstiftung NRW. “We’re very excited about the submissions.”