Open call for ninth Baumi Script Development Award

• Development grant for outstanding international stories for the cinema.
• Applications until 15 October online at www.baumi-award.com
• This year’s guest juror is the Indian filmmaker Pan Nalin

15 September, 2023 will see the launching of the open call of the Baumi Script Development Award,  endowed with a grant  of 20,000 Euros, for the development of outstanding stories for the cinema. Starting today, German and international authors are invited to submit applications for the script award at www.baumi-award.com.

Initiated in 2015 by Martina and Sandra Baumgartner, Pandora Film and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the award aims to facilitate free and independent script development and, at the same time, honour the memory of the film producer and distributor Karl "Baumi" Baumgartner.

The prerequisite for an application is for the applicant to have at least one filmed screenplay in one’s credits and for the submission to be made together with a production company. An English-language synopsis (3 to a maximum of 5 pages) must be submitted. The award consists of an award  sculpture and prize money. The prize money is earmarked for a specific purpose. It is planned to present the award during the 2024 Berlinale.

A jury of the three "permanent" members of the award’s founders and an annually alternating guest juror will decide on the winning submission.

The award-winning screenwriter, director and producer Pan Nalin is this year’s guest juror. Karl „Baumi“ Baumgartner produced Pan Nalin’s debut feature „Samsara“ as an international co-production through Pandora Film and with the support of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2001, won many awards and was shown theatrically in more than 50 countries. They subsequently worked together on such films as „Ayurveda – Art Of Being“ (2001) and „Valley Of Flowers“ (2006). Over the next few years, Pan Nalin realised international productions through his Indian production company Monsoon Films, including „Faith Connections“ (2013), „Angry Indian Goddesses“ (2015) and „Beyond The Known World“ (2015). His most recent feature film „Last Film Show“ (2022) was India’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars and made it to the shortlist for the „Best International Feature Film“ category. The semi-autobiographical film revolves around a boy in a remote village in India discovering his love for cinema.

A photo (copyright: Pan Nalin Monsoon) of Pan Nalin can be found here.

Previous jury members were Andreas Dresen (2022), Ildikó Enyedi (2021), Maren Ade (2020), Małgorzata Szumowska (2019), Bent Hamer (2018), Martina Gedeck (2017) Fatih Akin (2015), and Aki Kaurismäki (2016).

The 2021 Baumi Award winner Dea Kulumbegashvili shot her project „Those Who Find Me“ (former working title „Historia“) in Georgia this year. The producers are Luca Guadanino’s Fresesy Films and the French company First Picture.

The Award’s founders would like to extend special thanks to Friederike Zeit for the design and making of the award sculpture, Katja Clos for creating the graphics and logo, and Fritz Erler for programming the website.