The First Steps Awards is the most important German prize for young filmmakers. This year, the expert jury has made its choice from over 200 entries and announced the nominees. The winners will be announced on Monday, September 30 at the Theater des Westens in Berlin and broadcast as a livestream in the ARD Mediathek from 19:30 CET. The nominations alone are associated with a prize of 1,000 euros.
Among the nominees is MORIA SIX by Jennifer Mallmann, produced by our CREATORS from FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor Ludwigsburg and funded by MFG, was nominated in the “Documentary” category. The film takes a critical look at the new European refugee policy, using the example of the controversial conviction of six refugees who were held responsible for the devastating fire in the Moria camp on Lesbos in September 2020.
Three projects created at the Animationinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg can also hope to win a First Steps Award. The animated film DODO by Yi Luo has been nominated in the “Short Film” category. DODO tells the poetic story of Dodo and her father, a big blue bird. One day he flies away and never comes back. Since then, Dodo has stopped growing. The film was awarded the Lotte Reiniger Prize by the MFG as the best entry in the animated short film competition at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film in April. More about DODO
PEAR GARDEN (director: Shadab Shayegan) is nominated in the “Short Steps” category and uses a purist drawing technique to sensitively tell the story of a grandmother who has lost her breasts through a mastectomy and the associated fears of her grandchild. More about PEAR GARDEN
SCRUBBY (director: Paul Vollet) is also nominated in the “Short Steps” category. The titular creature wants to live in its mother’s thick fur forever. But in his search for security, Scrubby realizes that even strong people sometimes lose their strength and need someone to lean on. More about SCRUBBY
We congratulate everyone involved and keep our fingers crossed!
Sources: MFG News, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Press Release
