Braunschweig Film Prize (Prize for Young Actors)

The Braunschweiger Film Prize is endowed with 5,000 euros. A three-member jury awards this distinction to the best German-speaking emerging actor. The prize money has been donated since 2018 by a group of film enthusiasts from Braunschweig.

Anne Ratte-Polle

Anne Ratte-Polle is a German film and theater actress. Since the beginning of her career, Anne has appeared in many successful films and plays and is known for her outstanding portrayals of headstrong and complex women. She is known for her powerful, sensitive yet humorous performance. Her first leading film role in NIGHTSONGS, directed by Romuald Karmakar, received much acclaim and premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2004. Since then, she has returned to the festival with several films, including Denis Côte's drama UN ÉTÉ COMME ÇA in competition at the 2022 Berlinale.

Deborah Congia

Deborah Congia was born and raised in Hamburg. From 2001 to 2013, she worked as a casting director at the Hamburg-based film production company Wüste Film. In 2014, she founded Congia Casting, headquartered in Hamburg. She casts for TV, cinema, and international productions. Her projects include various Tatort episodes, The Sources of Evil (directed by Stephan Rick), The Flood – Death on the Dike (directed by Andreas Prochaska), Jerks (directed by Christian Ulmen), Gipsy Queen (directed by Hüseyin Tabak), and many more. Deborah Congia is a member of the Federal Association of Casting (BVC) and the German Film Academy, where she is actively involved in media policy issues, advocating for diversity in film and promoting respectful working processes, particularly in casting.

Klaus Buhlmann

One of the donors of the award. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later joined the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has devoted himself enthusiastically to his passion for theater and film.

JURY STATEMENT ON ELINE DOENST:

Dear Eline, your acting picked up speed as the movie progressed, without putting yourself in the foreground. We perceived your portrayal of the quiet moments as particularly impressive and strongYou give your thoughts the time they need. Even moments when you don't speak, you are truthful and convey emotions.. Your presence on the screen is simply enormous. You have managed to embody your character's identity problem in a fascinating way, acting both fragile and impenetrable and at the same time self-confident and self-determined.

The authenticity and emotionalitythat you bring to your performance have made your character a distinct and unique personality that offered the audience a strong surface to identify with. You not only demonstrate your acting skills, but above all the truthfulness in the play, which touched us deeply as a jury. Your performance in the role of a non-clichéd and stereotypical character was recognized by us as particularly outstanding particularly outstanding. The portrayal of this childlike innocence and naturalness in contrast to the inner turmoil of the character of the character touched us very much. In the quarrel scene with Jonja's mother and the family friends in the garden, your impressive talent is evident in the captivating portrayal of the all-too-familiar (for children) process of becoming invisible in the face of adult disputes.

A special feature of the film is the natural way in which diversity issues, such as adolescent queerness, are told casually in the best sense of the word and carried along by your honest performance. Dear Eline, we see a promising future for you promising future for you in the film industry. May this award encourage you to continue on your own path as an actress. You have the talent and the ability to do so. The jury would like to congratulate you on winning the Braunschweig Film Prize 2023

Zetha Asafu-Adjaye

Zetha Asafu-Adjaye is the founder of ZTA Management, an acting agency with a holistic and modern work philosophy. In 2023, she was named one of the "Future Leaders in Talent Management" by Screen Daily. A native of Lower Saxony, she is an advocate for fair working conditions, diversity and against gatekeeping.

Klaus Buhlmann

One of the donors of the award. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later joined the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has devoted himself enthusiastically to his passion for theater and film.

Sara Fazilat

Sara Fazilat is an actress, producer and screenwriter. She studied acting in London and film production at the DFFB and Columbia University in New York. To date, Sara has appeared regularly on television. Sara received for her performance among others the Max Ophüls Award, the Bavarian Film Award and as a producer the First Steps No Fear Award.

Bibiana Beglau

Since the beginning of her career, Bibiana Beglau has worked with directors who are shaping contemporary theatre and film. She repeatedly performed under the direction of Christoph Schlingensief, Dimiter Gotscheff, Einar Schleef, Frank Castorf, Luk Perceval, Martin Kušej, Sebastian Nübling and Thomas Ostermeier before achieving national fame and international recognition with her leading role in Volker Schlöndorff's feature film 'Die Stille nach dem Schuss'. In 2014 she was voted 'Actress of the Year 2014' by Theater heute and in 2015 she was awarded the German Theatre Prize Der Faust for her special acting performance. Bibiana Beglau is a member of the Akademie der Künste as well as the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste.

Sabine Weimann

Abitur in Hamburg. Grew up in Cologne and Aachen. Studied at the Free University of Berlin. Sabine Weimann looks back on 30 years of professional experience in casting for film and television. During this time she initiated two new casting departments for UFA, including team building and management. Projects she has worked on include All You Need, Bonusfamilie, Meine Tochter Helen, Hinter Gittern, Soko Wismar, Tatort, Rudi Dutschke, die Ungehorsame, die Schatzinsel, etc.

Klaus Buhlmann

One of the donors of the prize. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his professional career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later moved to the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has enthusiastically devoted himself to his passion for theatre and film.

Jasmin Tabatabai

German actress and jazz singer with Iranian roots. She became known for the leading role in BANDITS (1997), for which she also composed a large part of the soundtrack.

Klaus Buhlmann

One of the donors of the prize. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his professional career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later moved to the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has enthusiastically devoted himself to his passion for theatre and film.

Luise Brinkmann

Klaus Buhlmann

Karsten Mielke

Franziska Pohlmann