Great freedom for German films

"The award inspires and strengthens German cinema at Filmfest Hamburg and honours the courage of German cinema producers. The name of the section is not only closely associated with the city of Hamburg. It also expresses what we want for German film: The greatest possible narrative freedom with a great desire to explore other themes and points of view. The new award is also an important signal for Hamburg as a film location, which has always been a place for new and inspiring filmmaking. We are delighted that this new category has been added to the Hamburg Producers' Award and would like to thank the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg very much," saysFestival director Albert Wiederspiel.

Only major German cinema films that ideally try out new narrative and visual approaches and question their own self-image can be nominated. A three-member expert jury chaired by Matthias Elwardt will select the winning film.

The Hamburg Producers' Award, with prize money totalling 75,000 euros provided by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (50,000 euros) and the VFF, the collecting society of film and television producers (25,000 euros), will be expanded this year for the first time to include the "German Cinema Production" competition category for an outstanding German cinema production. In addition, the Hamburg Producer Award "European Cinema Co-Production" for nominated films from the "Freeport" section and the Hamburg Producer Award "German Television Production" for nominated films from the section "Television - Television with Format", newly named this year, will continue to be awarded as part of Filmfest Hamburg.

Filmfest Hamburg takes place from 27 September to 6 October 2018. Over 130 productions from all over the world will be shown as European, German or Hamburg premieres. The festival cinemas are the Abaton, CinemaxX Dammtor, Metropolis, Passage and Studio-Kino.