The EUROPA goes to Hollywood great Udo Kier, the Volkswagen Financial Services Film Award to Irish director Claire Dix for her first feature film SUNLIGHT - Der HEINRICH and to French director Antoine Chevrollier for his debut film BLOCK PASS.
A few weeks ago, he celebrated his 80th birthday, and now the Cologne-born director was able to accept Die EUROPA in Braunschweig as an award for his many years of outstanding acting achievements and services to film culture. "I'm a lucky man," Kier beamed into the camera as he accepted the 25,000 euro award. Since the 1960s, he has worked on more than 280 film and television productions, shooting with greats such as Andy Warhol, Lars von Trier, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Paul Morrissey, Werner Herzog, Christoph Schlingensief and Gus van Sant. Kier, who taught at the Braunschweig University of Art (HBK) in the 90s, also looks back with a great deal of humility: "It also has a lot to do with luck. That's why you should never forget where you come from." Anthony Bandmann, member of the Board of Management of main sponsor Volkswagen Financial Services, presented The EUROPA: "We are proud, as a sponsor as well as the city of Braunschweig, to bring someone like Udo Kier from Hollywood to Braunschweig." The laudatory speech for Kier was held by Jobst Knigge, who recently produced the remarkable and very personal documentary "Der wunderbare Udo Kier" for ARTE.
The Volkswagen Financial Services Film Prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, went to Claire Dix for her work SUNLIGHT. In her directorial debut, Claire Dix tells the story of Leon, a clean junkie and daydreamer, and his terminally ill friend Iver. On the day of Iver's planned assisted suicide, Leon questions Iver's decision and takes him on a loving journey through shared memories and familiar places in Dublin. This emotional pilgrimage becomes a tender exploration of the value of life and the choices we make at the end of our journey. Jury member Reik Möller comments: "Claire Dix's directorial work shows a sensitivity that authentically expresses the deep bond between her characters. While Leon challenges his friend's firm decision with resistance and compassion, the film skillfully balances the heaviness of the subject with light moments and captivates the audience. The nuanced performances of Barry Ward and Liam Carney as Leon and Iver, combine a special humor and a deep vulnerability. Maureen Beattie's role as Maria, who supports Iver in his decision, adds another dimension to the film and embodies a human approach to an emotionally charged subject." Actor Liam Carney, who accepted the award for SUNLIGHT, added: "This film is very important for us - it was made with love."
An honorable mention went to director Piotr Biedron for THE LAST SPARK OF HOPE. "The jury was impressed by the fact that director Piotr Biedron succeeded in making a debut film that was shot on a minimalist budget, on a single location, with a single - great - actress and with a set made entirely of scrap metal, ecologically and sustainably," it said in the explanatory statement.
Heimspiel: An award for courage and determination
The HEINRICH Audience Award, also endowed with 10,000 euros, was presented to French director Antoine Chevrollier for his debut film BLOCK PASS: A film about deep friendship, grief, anger and homophobia in the environment of male-dominated motocross sport as well as the search for one's own path. Chevrollier, who himself comes from the small town on the Loire discussed in the film, has made a strong debut film with his talented lead actors, which screened in Cannes this year and was awarded Best International Debut at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Now the award followed in the Lion City. "This means a lot for me. We had an amazing crew - we did all this for the audience," Chevrollier thanked. And Angela Kleinhans, Head of Internal Communications and Sponsoring at Volkswagen Financial Services, emphasized at the award ceremony: "Films are made for people - and that's exactly why they belong on the big screen."
"With this award, we are honoring an important story and the courage and determination of a team that has understood what the medium of film can do and what it is allowed to do. Now and in the future." With these words, the jury of the Heimspiel Award confirmed its statement for this year's winner. This year, it went to Brunswick-born producer Martin Rohé for VENA. "We saw impressive images with an eye for detail, sensitive directing, an intense montage and a precisely thought-out storyline that deliberately displaced clichés," said jury member Vanessa Donelly. "The production was incredibly difficult and had many challenges," outlined Rohé on the evening.
The TILDA for Norwegian-Sami director Sara Margrethe Oskal
Norwegian-Samish author, actress, artist and director Sara Margrethe Oskal took home the 6,000 euro TILDA award. Oskal's feature film debut was not only one of the ten films in the competition, but also a contribution to this year's focus "Sámi Cinema - Stories from the North". The film gains great authenticity through the biographical backgrounds of those involved: like the director, both main actors are Sámi. Award-winning performance artist and poet Oskal herself herded reindeer for ten years. "This film is told from an indigenous, intersectional feminist and insider perspective - and fascinates with its powerful yet vulnerable storytelling and its masterful use of moving images, sound and sensitive editing that leaves space for the characters, their subjectivity and the landscape," the jury statement said. Oskal himself was visibly moved: "I am so glad that the cast wanted to work with me. And I am so nervous right now."
The jury presented the Braunschweig Film Award to Anja Plaschg for her role in DES TEUFELS BAD. "Anja, you didn't just play a character, you brought a piece of human experience to life. Your Agnes inspired us and made us build a bridge to the position of women in the 18th century and reflect on themes such as social identity, religion, pain, darkness, hope, forgiveness and light in the here and now," enthused the Film Award jury. "This film was the most intensive project in my professional life to date," Plaschg confirmed.
The jury also emphasized an honorable mention at the Braunschweig Film Prize: for Emma Nova for in VENA. "Against the backdrop of unembellished social-realistic scenes, Emma Nova lends the role of Jenny extraordinary strength and credibility. VENA tells sensitively and with great tenderness for the main character of the contradictory emotional world of a young woman who is already a mother without being able to deal with this responsibility and who combines in her character the maturity of an adult and the vulnerability of a child.
ECHT: Films far removed from simple answers
The queer film prize ECHT was awarded to the Brazilian film director Carolina Markowicz for TOLL. The reasoning: "An unfortunately still - worldwide - topical subject, conversion therapy, is told here in a courageous, visually stunning and surprisingly light way. The director manages with stylistic confidence to give all the characters and relationships an ambivalence and complexity that makes it impossible to make too easy judgments and condemnations and forces the viewer to deal with the hardships, constraints and realities of life of a single mother and her queer son in a precarious environment on a deep level. A film that is far removed from simplification and easy answers, deeply moving and resonates for a long time." Meanwhile, a special mention went to AVANT-DRAG! by director Fil Ieropoulos. "What we see, as we also hear in the film, is the result of centuries of suffering. And yet the film now leads us to the realization that this otherness, loneliness and struggle can be deeply familiar to us," said the jury.
The Franco-German Youth Award KINEMA was awarded to ETERNAL PLAYGROUND by directors Pablo Cotten and Joseph Rozé. The jury, made up of six German and French students including Sarah Bellenger, Juliana Golubev, Hannah Heinert, Jascha Hermann, Amélie Jaupitre and Salomé Mangeon, was visibly impressed: "From the opening scene onwards, we were able to identify with the characters. The friendship was authentically portrayed through many confrontations and fits of laughter within the group. The wide range of camera angles used took us through all the emotions."
Cinematic pleas for personal responsibility and hope
Can a movie change lives? The films in the Green Horizons series aim to inspire, inspire and encourage. This year's associated award was presented to director Blake McWilliam for SEND KELP! "The film captivates with powerful images that capture the fragile beauty of the sea, while at the same time illuminating the emotional inner life of a young generation: Frances draws new strength from her 'eco-grief', her climate grief, to actively make a difference. SEND KELP! is a powerful plea for environmental protection, personal responsibility and hope in a changing, crisis-ridden world," said the jury in the award statement. "We hope that the film changed your mind," was how McWilliam summed it up in his acceptance speech.
Iranian-American director Liam LoPinto was delighted to receive the EDDA Audience Award for Best Short Film for THE OLD YOUNG CROW. In the work, Mehrdad, now an old man, reflects on his experiences in Tokyo, where he befriended an old Japanese woman. He flicks through his old sketchbook, which is set in motion by a combination of animation and live action. "Be able to be seen by so many people means a lot to me," LoPinto explained in his video message.
"Thank you for supporting the young, up-and-coming film world!"
Andrea Schwyzer from NDR, presenter of the evening, expressed a big thank you to the Braunschweig International Film Festival Association and the full-time festival team: "You deserve a lot of credit for supporting the young, up-and-coming film world with the Braunschweig International Film Festival!"
The last screenings and events of the 38th Braunschweig International Film Festival will take place this Sunday, November 17. Make a note: The 39th Braunschweig International Film Festival (BIFF) will take place from November 10 to 16, 2025. Further information about the BIFF can be found at www.filmfest-braunschweig.de as well as daily updates on the festival's social media channels.