Awards and Juries

For the fifth time 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, twelve different movies, ranging from international big-budget productions to German low-budget movies are 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’.
Recipient 2008: ‚Frozen River' (Regie: Courtney Hunt)

This award is endowed with Euro 30,000 provided by  Hamburg's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Media.The award will be presented to TV producers and is solely available for orders at Hamburg post-production companies. The prize money must be called within 24 months.
Recipient 2008: Bavaria Fernsehproduktion (Produzentin: Astrid Kahmke) f�r den Film ‚Machen wir`s auf Finnisch' (Regie: Marco Petry)

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 (NORTHERN LIGHTS) section. Nominated are all feature films of the NORDLICHTER (NORTHERN LIGHTS) section. It presents films that are set in the North, were shot in the North and star “northern lights”.
Recipient 2008: Srdjan Vuletic for his screenplay of the film ‚It`s Hard to Be Nice'

Another prize is being presented at Filmfest Hamburg for the first time: The Art Cinema Award, established in 1969 by the Conf�d�ration Internationale des Cin�mas d'Art et d'Essai (C.I.C.A.E.) (International Confederation of Art House Cinemas). The juries consists of three cinema owners. All films that have a German distributor are nominated. The confederation’s extensive network will support the distribution of the winning film throughout Europe. Filmf�rderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein is contributing 5,000 euros to the award in support of PR measures by the German distributor.
Recipient 2008: ‚35 Rum' (Regie: Claire Denis)
Lobende Erw�hnung: ‚Adoration' (Regie: Atom Egoyan)

The young talents award “Die Elfe” (literally: “The Pixie”) will be presented at Filmfest Hamburg for the first time, donated 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.
Recipient 2008: ‚Johnny Mad Dog' (Regie: Jean-St�phane Sauvaire)

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 “eurovisual” section is their favorite. The Audience Award is endowed with 5,000 euros and this year it is presented by the gentlemen’s club Gesellschaft Harmonie von 1789.
Recipient 2008: ‚Willkommen bei den Sch'tis' (Regie: Dany Boon)

Altogether nine feature films and one animated film are competing for the 'Michel' Award, donated by DVD provider Universal Pictures Germany and endowed with 5,000 euros, double as much as last year. A jury made up of children and adolescents will determine the best children’s and youth film in the international competition.
Recipient 2008: ‚Hey Hey, hier Esther Blueburger' (Regie: Cathy Randall)
Lobende Erw�hnungen: ‚Home Run' (Regie: Francis Leclerc) and ‚Schmetterlinge' (Regie: Kjell-�ke Andersson)

The Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest (Children’s and Youth Film Festival) also features an audience award: the Jetix-Movie-Award. The prize will be awarded for the first time by the children’s channel Jetix.
Recipient 2008: ‚Schmetterlinge' (Regie: Kjell-�ke Andersson)

For the third time now, the free-to-air TV channel DAS VIERTE presents the micromovie-Award at Filmfest Hamburg. Of all the film ideas submitted, the ten best were made into films. The TV- and Filmfest audiences decide on which of the 100-second films will receive the prize endowed with 4,444 euros.
Recipient 2008: Jan Schwarze who had the idea to "Gewonnen!"