German director Christina Tournatzes wins the German Cinema
New Talent Award at Filmfest Munich
The German film director Christina Tournatzes has been awarded with tthe German Cinema New Talent Award for Best Director ( EUROS 30,000) for her debut film “Karla”. The German Cinema New Talent Award Ceremony is connected to the Filmfest Munich and sponsored by Bavaria Film, Bayerischer Rundfunk, and DZ Bank. The award ceremony took place on July 4 at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF) and was hosted by Sandra Rieß. The three members of this year’s independent jury were Erol Afşin (director/actor), Jan-Ole Gerster (director/writer), and Liliane Amuat (actress).
The German Cinema New Talent Award endowed with a total of EUROS 70,000 honors outstanding achievements of talents in the New German Cinema section of the Munich International Film Festival. This year, for the first time, producers whose work receives the German Cinema New Talent Award in the category of best producer at the Munich International Film Festival will receive 50,000 reference points toward funding from the German Federal Film Board (FFA). At the award ceremony Tournatzes thanked actress Vicki Krieps for having trusted her, Vicki Krieps young daughter Elisa Krieps is the leadung actress of her film.
The jury stated: “In this, her first feature film, Christina Tournatzés ventures straight into what cannot be spoken about or shown. And yet, with remarkable sensitivity and a keen narrative instinct, she succeeds in finding words and images — and in contrasting the darkest corners of the soul with courage and humanity. Christina Tournatzés draws on the power of cinema, which in ‘Karla’ often derives from omission and projection — and in doing so keeps the audience emotionally and morally engaged from the first shot to the last. ‘Karla’ is a film that lingers long after the credits roll — directed with cinematic intelligence, a big heart, and deep admiration for its heroine. Admiration that carries over to the audience.”
The film, based on real events, tells the story of twelve-year-old Karla which in 1962 stands up to a world in which children are expected to remain silent. She defies her father’s power, her family’s silence, and a German society that would rather look away than listen. Karla refuses to remain silent — she speaks out, denounces injustice, and in doing so changes more than she ever thought would be possible.
The German Cinema New Talent Award for Best Producer (EUROS 20,000) goes to Jacqueline Jansen for “Sechswochenamt”.
The jury stated: “There are films that are made under ideal conditions: with funding and the involvement of broadcasters, educational institutions — and friends who believe in you. Some films, however, don’t come about through a system, but from following an inner compulsion. It’s hard to make a film — and even harder to start making one on your own: without money, without support, with just your own conviction. At some point, though, you need allies, a team that supports you, thinks along with you, participates — often under tight deadlines, under uncertain conditions, but with dignity. ‘Sechswochenamt’ is one such film. Completed by a small team and driven by passion, it lends significant emotional intensity to a story of grief, family tensions, and speechlessness. Reducing everything to its essentials allows a depth to emerge that touches the viewer — raw, authentic, and human.”
The story: While the world is in isolation during the COVID pandemic, Lore returns to the small town of Erkelenz in Western Germany to deal with the death of her mother. As she grapples with entrenched family structures and crippling bureaucracy, she must more than anything find a way to accept her mother’s passing and pay her final respects.
The German Cinema New Talent Award for Best Screenplay (10,000 euros) goes to Yvonne Görlach for “Karla”.
The jury stated: “In a screenplay based on real events, Yvonne Görlach tells the story of Karla, a 12-year-old girl who bravely challenges all social conventions and a society, even a world, dominated by men, brings accusations against them, and fights for justice and her dignity. With great narrative intuition and without resorting to common tropes, the author treats this story and her characters with a great deal of respect and empathy. She takes her time, is economical, doesn’t embellish, is never kitschy, hints at things, and leaves out much that cannot be said but that is left to our imagination and moves us all the more. A screenplay that trusts its characters. That relies on the power of silence. And on what remains unsaid and stays with us.”
The German Cinema New Talent Award for Best Acting Performance (EUROS 10,000) goes to Magdalena Laubisch for “Sechswochenamt”
The jury stated: “In Jacqueline Jansen’s film ‘Sechswochenamt’, we observe Lore in the days that immediately follow her mother’s death. She struggles with bureaucratic absurdities, pandemic-induced isolation, and her own grief. Magdalena Laubisch plays this character unsentimentally, with quiet strength, great precision, and impressive vulnerability. She takes us on this journey with apparent ease; her performance is personal, but not private. At times, her skin seems almost transparent, as though we can see right into her.”
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