June 4, 2026

German Film Awards 2026

In the “Best Visual Effects” category at the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 (German Film Awards 2026), Michael Wortmann (RISE) and Frank Schlegel won the LOLA for “Momo.” Michael Wortmann is a graduate of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg’s Animationsinstitut. Also nominated in this category were VFX supervisors Max Riess and Mona Mohr (PIXOMONDO) for “Woodwalkers 2,” as well as Tomer Eshed, Dennis Rettkowski, and Frank Kaminski for “Die Schule der magischen Tiere 4” – both productions funded by MFG Baden-Württemberg.

Michael Wortmann, Frank Schlegel (not there) · MOMO I BESTE VISUELLE EFFEKTE at DEUTSCHER FILMPREIS 2026 in Berlin. Copyright: Eventpress Fuhr

Michael Klammer and Michael Wortmann at Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 Messe Berlin © Clemens Porikys

The film “In die Sonne schauen” (“Sound of Falling”) received the Golden Lola for Best Feature Film and won a total of ten Lolas. Numerous alumni of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg were involved in the production. The awards spanned nearly all creative and technical disciplines – from directing and screenwriting to cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, makeup, and sound design. Back in 2023, directors Mascha Schilinski and Louise Peter had already received the Thomas Strittmatter Award from MFG Baden-Württemberg for the screenplay of “In die Sonne schauen”.

Conratulations to all the winn ers and nominees!

Sources: D eutscher Filmpreis | MFG

February 28, 2026

Thomas Strittmatter Award 2026

Screenwriters Duc-Thi Bui and Philipp Lutz were awarded the Thomas Strittmatter Award 2026, endowed with €20,000 and presented by MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg, for their screenplay for the drama “Malibu“. The film tells the story of 17-year-olds Jonas and David, who meet while undergoing cancer treatment in an oncology ward and develop a close friendship in which intimacy and love gradually blossom.

The three-member jury – director and screenwriter Laila Stieler, director and writer Güzin Kar, and media scholar Anna Kokenge – honored all three nominated screenplays with laudations. The Thomas Strittmatter Award was presented by State Secretary Arne Braun of the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg, together with MFG Managing Director Carl Bergengruen, during a festive reception held as part of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival at the Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg in Berlin. The other nominees for the Thomas Strittmatter Award 2026, Stephanie Fies and Romina Küper, will each receive €2,500 for their screenplays “Running High” and “Hyperbaby“, respectively.

Winners Thomas Strittmatter Award 2026: Duc-Thi Bui and Philipp Lutz, Jury: Laila Stieler, Güzin Kar and Anna Kokenge, State Secretary Arne Braun, MFG Managing Director Carl Bergengruen, Actress Anna Ratte-Polle, (c) AEDT Tom Maelser

More than 700 guests attended the MFG reception at the Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg, including film personalities such as Natalia Wörner, Louise Peter, Bayan Layla, Sylvaine Faligant, Michael Baral, Anne Ratte-Polle, Susanne Wolff, Marc-Uwe Kling, Purnima Grätz, Andrea Guo, Emma Bading, Helge Mark, Viet Pham and Wanja Mues. Representatives of the AMCRS were also present, including Stefanie Larson (AMCRS Manager), Heiko Burkhardsmaier (Accenture Song VFX), Sebastian Runschke (SERU Animation), Holger Weiss, Dominique Schuchmann and Wolfgang Kerber (The M.A.R.K. 13 Group), Lilian Klages (Eagle Eye Filmproduktion), Gisela Schäfer (Gretels Gold), Matthias Drescher (Film und Fernsehlabor Ludwigsburg), Thomas Meyer-Hermann (Studio Film Bilder), Juri Stanossek (LAVAlabs Moving Images), and many more.

Source: MFG