Festival Successes Hit the Big Screen: 130,500 euros for eight film projects

In its latest round of simplified distribution funding, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW (FMS) is supporting eight projects with a total of 130,500 euros. Several films have already enjoyed success at international festivals: “Von Scham und Geld” won the CineMasters Award at the Munich Film Festival following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The NRW-funded co-production “The Mad Dog of Europe” also celebrated its German premiere there. “We Are All Strangers” screened in the Berlinale competition, while “Sad Girlz” was honored there with the Glass Bear and the Grand Prize of the International Jury in the Generation 14plus section. To mark Rapid Eye Movies’ 30th anniversary, Hirokazu Koreeda’s film *NOBODY KNOWS* is returning. This film introduced German audiences to one of the most significant careers in contemporary cinema.

There is also a strong connection to the local film industry: Six of the eight projects are being distributed by companies or a film production house based in Cologne and Dortmund. “The Mad Dog of Europe,” “On Shame and Money,” “Rebellion—Between Dream and Reality,” and “Take Heart—On Mental Crises and Soul Dancers” had already received production support from the FMS.

The jury members for this session were Gudrun Sommer, festival director of DOXS RUHR (Bochum); Christian Schmalz, theater operator at Off Kinobetriebs GmbH (Cologne); and Jürgen Lütz, film distributor at Film Kino Text (Bonn) and board member of Cineville Deutschland.

Distribution Funding

WE ARE ALL STRANGERS – 25,000 euros

Director: Anthony Chen
Distributor: Rapid Eye Movies, Cologne
Theatrical release: December 17, 2026

In the economic hub of Singapore, 21-year-old Junyang is carefree and enjoying his youth, while his father struggles to maintain the family’s modest standard of living. A life-changing event forces Junyang and his girlfriend to face the challenges of adulthood sooner than expected. At the same time, a spirited woman enters his father’s life and alters the relationship between father and son. “We Are All Strangers” celebrated its world premiere in the Berlinale competition.

SAD GIRLZ – 25,000 euros

Director and Screenplay: Fernanda Tovar
Distributor: mindjazz pictures, Cologne
Theatrical release: January 21, 2027

Paula and La Maestra are 16 years old, best friends, and the strongest swimmers on their team. After a night out partying with her longtime crush, Paula undergoes a noticeable change. While she tries to push the experience out of her mind, La Maestra searches for answers. Together, they struggle to find the words to describe what happened. But their different ways of dealing with pain, anger, and uncertainty put their friendship to the test. At the Berlinale, Fernanda Tovar’s feature film debut was awarded the Glass Bear and the Grand Prix of the International Jury in the Generation 14plus section.

DEREK VS. DEREK – 23,500 euros

Director and Screenplay: James Dawson
Distributor: mindjazz pictures, Cologne
Theatrical Release: February 11, 2027

Two English neighbors are both named Derek, and their fields lie right next to each other. Yet their views on farming, work, and nature could hardly be more different: on one side is intensive dairy farming; on the other, the return of the wilderness. Amid fence-line chats, hedge trimming, and the changing seasons, this documentary observes a conflict that is as heated as it is humorous—and surprisingly human.

ON SHAME AND MONEY – 12,500 euros

Director and Screenplay: Visar Morina
Distributor: eksystent Filmverleih, Munich
Theatrical Release: September 24, 2026

A family leads a modest but happy life in a rural region of Kosovo. When one family member secretly sells all the cows and flees abroad with the money, the family loses its livelihood. Their only option is to move to the big city and hope for a fresh start. Visar Morina’s drama explores dignity and shame in a society where a person’s worth is increasingly measured by their possessions. Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film won the Grand Jury Prize, “Of Shame and Money” won the CineMasters Award at the Munich Film Festival. The Film Foundation supported the production with 100,000 euros.

NOBODY KNOWS – 12,500 euros

Director and Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda
Distributor: Rapid Eye Movies, Cologne
Re-release: November 12, 2026

Four children live with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. None of them share the same father; they don’t go to school, and they’re rarely allowed to leave the apartment. One day, their mother disappears, leaving behind only some money and a note in which she asks 12-year-old Akira to look after his siblings. With great compassion, Hirokazu Koreeda tells the story of the children’s struggle to survive and their attempt to preserve their own world in isolation.

THE MAD DOG OF EUROPE – 12,000 euros

Director and Screenplay: Rubika Shah
Distributor: RFF – Real Fiction Filmverleih, Cologne
Theatrical Release: November 12, 2026

This documentary offers a contemporary look at the most infamous anti-Nazi film that was never made. The screenplay by “Citizen Kane” writer Herman J. Mankiewicz predicted Hitler’s rise to power, yet Hollywood studios refused to produce the film. The background reveals a story of politics, power, and the intricacies of the film industry. The German-French co-production by Cologne-based Heimatfilm received 49,000 euros in funding from the Film Foundation while still in production and celebrated its German premiere at the Munich Film Festival.

AUFBÄUMEN – BETWEEN DREAM AND REALITY – 10,000 euros

Directed by: Katja Becker, Jonathan Happ
Distributor: Camino Filmverleih, Stuttgart
Theatrical release: August 13, 2026

Paul and Janine want to revolutionize agriculture. On the site of an old, derelict farm in the Palatinate, they are establishing a model farm for regenerative agroforestry on 100 hectares of neglected land. But bringing their vision to life puts their convictions and their relationship to the test. The documentary was produced by Cologne-based Thurn Film. The Film Foundation supported the production with 74,000 euros.

THEATER TOUR “JUST BE BRAVE – ON MENTAL HEALTH CRISES AND THE DANCES OF THE SOUL” – 10,000 euros

Director and Writer: Horst Herz
Distributor: Horst Herz Filmproduktion, Dortmund
Theatrical tour begins: October 15, 2026

This documentary film portrays seven people who have experienced mental health crises and found their own paths back to joy in life, self-determination, and participation in society. They speak openly about anxiety, depression, trauma, and other emotional struggles. Their personal stories paint a nuanced and encouraging picture of mental health, break down prejudices, and give a voice to those affected. With a humanistic approach, “Nur Mut” focuses on hope, resilience, and the possibility of constructively overcoming mental health crises. The film, which received 60,000 euros in production funding from the Film Foundation, was produced in Dortmund and premiered there in March 2026.