MUNICH FILM FESTIVAL 2026: Four Awards for Productions Funded by North Rhine-Westphalia
The 43rd FILMFEST MÜNCHEN was a huge success for the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW: No fewer than four productions funded by NRW were honored with prestigious awards during the festival. The awards went to the films *Von Scham und Geld* by Visar Morina, *Schöne Seelen* by Tom Schreiber, and *Die Ballade von Mittwoch auf Donnerstag* by Christoph Otto, as well as to the series *Wake Up* by Mia Meyer and Tim Trachte.
CineMasters Awardfor “Von Scham und Geld” The CineMasters Award for Best International Film went to “Von Scham und Geld” by Visar Morina. The international jury, consisting of actress Ella Rumpf and directors Michael Kofler and Pete Ohs, selected the film from among the twelve entries in the CineMasters competition. The prize, sponsored for the first time by Messe München, is endowed with 10,000 euros.
In “Of Shame and Money, ” Visar Morina tells the story of a family in Kosovo who, after losing their economic livelihood, are forced to move to the big city, where they are confronted with the challenges of an increasingly capitalist society.
FIPRESCI Prize for “Beautiful Souls”
This year’s FIPRESCI Prize from the International Federation of Film Critics went to “Schöne Seelen” by Tom Schreiber. The critics’ jury, consisting of Bettina Schuler, Övgü Gökçe, and Joanna Orzechowska-Bonis, honored the film in the “New German Cinema” section. The tragicomedy, starring August Diehl and Josef Hader, is set in the summer of 1996 and tells the story of the collapse of a supposed utopia for dropouts on Spain’s Costa Brava.
New German Cinema Encouragement Award for “Die Ballade von Mittwoch auf Donnerstag”
The New German Cinema Support Award was presented on July 3 as part of FILMFEST MÜNCHEN. In the “Best Production” category, Christoph Otto was honored for his film “The Ballad of Wednesday to Thursday.”
This ensemble comedy paints a picture of a night in Cologne’s pubs, bars, shisha lounges, and ice cream parlors, weaving together encounters, conversations, and moods into a multifaceted view of the present. The New German Cinema Promotion Award is one of the most important honors for emerging German filmmakers and comes with a total prize of 70,000 euros.
Bernd Burgemeister Television Prize for “Wake Up”
The NRW-funded near-future drama series “Wake Up” was honored with the Bernd Burgemeister Television Award. The award went to producers Katrin Haase, Oliver Arnold, and Alexander Ferwer, as well as producer Yvonne Wassong from U5 Filmproduktion.
The jury particularly praised the exceptional roles, the bold casting choices, and the originality of the story. The ZDF commission tells the story of sisters Clara (Alicia von Rittberg) and Emilia (Luna Jordan), whose lives become dramatically intertwined through a new technology for transferring consciousness.
16 Funded Productions in Munich A total of 16 productions funded by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW—15 films and one series—were represented at the 43rd FILMFEST MÜNCHEN this year. From internationally cast co-productions to bold films by emerging filmmakers and documentary works, all the way to innovative series formats, the NRW lineup reflected the full spectrum of current cinematic creativity.
The Film and Media Foundation NRW extends its heartfelt congratulations to all award winners, as well as to the participating creatives, producers, and teams, on their successes. At the same time, congratulations go out to all filmmakers whose works were presented in Munich: Each of the 16 supported productions enriched FILMFEST MÜNCHEN in its own way and impressively demonstrated the artistic quality, thematic diversity, and international relevance that North Rhine-Westphalia has to offer as a film and media hub.