Awards and Juries

This famous award is presented annually to a personality or a company that has made outstanding achievements around film culture and film industry. The years before it has been awarded to Isabelle Huppert, Clint Eastwood, Stephen Frears, Jodie Foster, the Danish production company Zentropa Productions, Peter Weir, Jim Jarmusch, Wong Kar-wai, Majid Majidi, Aki Kaurismäki, François Ozon, Gérard Depardieu, David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan, all of whom received the chrystal, designed and formed by the designer Georg Plum.
In 2011 German director Andreas Dresen and his producer Peter Rommel were honoured with the Douglas-Sirk-Award.

Since 2004 Filmfest Hamburg is presenting the Hamburg Film Critic Award. The German news magazines ‘Der Spiegel’, ‘Stern’, Hamburg’s daily newspaper ‘Hamburger Abendblatt’ and the radio station ‘NDR 90,3’ run this joint initiative to honor a production that offers an original view of present issues. Out of Filmfest Hamburg’s main programme, a range of different movies, ranging from international big-budget productions to German low-budget movies will be nominated. A jury consisting of four filmcritics of the presenting media will chose the production to be awarded with the non-material Hamburg Film Critic Award.
Winner 2011: "Take Shelter". Direction and screenplay: Jeff Nichols, USA.

In 2009 for the first time four representatives from the assiciation of the foreign press in Germany (VAP e.V.) awarded their own prize: The Foreign Press Award. The twelve nominees also compete for the prize of the Hamburg Film Critique.
Winner 2011: "The Art of Love". Direction and screenplay: Emmanuel Mouret, France.

This award is endowed with 30,000 euros provided by Hamburg's Ministry of Culture. The award will be presented to the production company of the winning film and is solely available for orders at Hamburg production companies. The prize money must be called within 24 months.
Winner 2011: d.i.e. film GmbH (Producer: Ulrich Aselmann) for the film "Tödlicher Rausch". Dir: Johannes Fabrick, Germany.

Together with the renowned Hamburg company Montblanc, Filmfest Hamburg presents the Montblanc Scriptwriting Award which is endowed with 10.000 euros. The award is granted as part of the "Nordlichter" section. All films of the section "Nordlichter" will be nominated.
Winner 2011: Marnie Blok for her screenplay of the film "Simon and the Oaks", Sweden/Germany.

In 2011 again at Filmfest Hamburg: The Art Cinema Award, established in 1969 by the Conféderation Internationale des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (C.I.C.A.E.) (International Confederation of Art House Cinemas). Films that have a German distributor can be nominated. The confederation's extensive network will support the distribution of the winning film throughout Europe. Filmföderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein is contributing 5,000 euros to the award in support of PR measures by the German distributor.
Winner 2011: "Monsieur Lazhar". Direction and screenplay: Philippe Falardeau, Canada.

The young talents award "Die Elfe" (literally: "The Pixie") has been presented at Filmfest Hamburg since 2008. Donated is the prize by one of Europe's leading advertising film production companies, Neue Sentimental Film Hamburg (NSF). Helga Waterkotte, Managing Director of NSF Hamburg: "The young talents award in the form of an elf symbolizes the dreams of young directors and is simultaneously part of our company logo". The award is endowed with 5,000 euros.
Winner 2011: "Avé". Direction and screenplay: Konstantin Bojanov, Bulgaria.

We want to find out: which one of this year's European box office hits is the best? The audience gets to decide by public vote which of the seven competing films in the "Eurovisuell" section is their favorite.
Winner 2011: "King of Devil´s Island". Dir.: Marius Holst, Norway.

The Zieglerfilm Köln GmbH funded and handed out the Michel Award last year at the 8th Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest of Filmfest Hamburg 2010. The award included prize money of 5000 euros. A jury made up of children determined the best children's and youth film in the international competition.
Winner 2011: "Ways to Live Forever". Direction and screenplay: Gustavo Ron, Great Britain/Spain.