The four documentary awards go to
• ECHOES FROM BORDERLAND •
• LOVE ALONE CAN'T MAKE A CHILD •
• BERLIN EVICTION •
• EXILE NEVER ENDS •
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  • MAX OPHÜLS PRIZE: BEST DOCUMENTARY, endowed with 7,500 Euros, provided by Saarland Medien GmbH goes to ECHOES FROM BORDERLAND by Lara Milena Brose, 70min, P: HFF Munich, [COMPETITION]
    "A film with strong protagonists and a gripping story that touchingly and impressively shows us that Europe is closing its borders to refugees, thereby disregarding humanistic values and failing to take its responsibility. The way the film tells of this great injustice and suffering, but also of longing and hope, made a strong impression on us with its closeness to the characters, its scenic narrative style, its precise sound design and its formal and visual elegance." say the members of the jury Jide Tom Akinleminu, Wolf-Maximilian Liebich, Andrina Mrancikar.

  • MAX OPHÜLS PRIZE: BEST FILM MUSIC, endowed with 5,000 Euros, offered by Saarland Medien GmbH and endowed by the Strecker Foundation goes to Johannes Blume & Markus Hossack for original score of BERLIN EVICTION | BERLIN UTOPIEKADAVER by Johannes Blume, 92min, P: Filmgalerie 451, [COMPETITION]
    "Quotation from the film: "We had our time and now it's over." Music plays a very important role in this film, it is an expression of protest, anger, sadness and transports the content of the film. With a convincing interweaving of original music and film score, the film tells of the almost lost struggle for freedom beyond conventions and beyond capitalist constraints." say the members of the jury Jide Tom Akinleminu, Wolf-Maximilian Liebich, Andrina Mrancikar

  • MAX OPHÜLS PRIZE: AUDIENCE AWARD DOCUMENTARY is endowed with 5,000 Euros by Dillinger and Saarstahl. The prize is awarded to an entry from the Documentary competition by a vote of the festival audience goes to LOVE ALONE CAN'T MAKE A CHILD | DER WUNSCH by Judith Beuth, 104min, WS: RISE AND SHINE, [COMPETITION].

  • The award of the non-endowed MAX OPHÜLS PRIZE: PRIZE OF FILM CRITICS is decided by a three-member jury composed of the film critics' associations from Germany (BVMJ and VdFk), Austria (Austrian Film Critics' Guild) and Switzerland (SVFJ) goes to EXILE NEVER ENDS by Bahar Bektas, 100min, P: Pink Shadow Films GmbH, [COMPETITION].
    "A family in a permanent state of emergency. We see them struggling to lead a normal life between the conflicting priorities of past and future, integration and the preservation of their own cultural identity. The family's cohesion is just as unstable as the concept of home. An initially fragmentary narrative of hints and omissions impressively coalesces into an intimate and powerful portrait. Director Bahar Bekta? makes us painfully aware: EXILE NEVER ENDS." say the jury members Ingrid Beerbaum, Till Brockmann, Roman Scheiber.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

The 45th edition of the Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival showcases a total number of 131 in 14 sections, 226 screenings in seven cinemas* in Saarbrücken and the Saarland. 42 of the 58 films from the four competition categories of feature film, documentary, medium-length film and short film will celebrate their world premiere. The filmmakers, mostly from German universities, but also from Austria and Switzerland, will be competing for prizes worth a total of 118,500 Euros.

*The seven cinemas are: CineStar Saarbrücken, Filmhaus Saarbrücken, KINO 8 1/2, camera zwo, Thalia Lichtspiele Bous, Kinowerkstatt St. Ingbert, Capitol MovieWorld Saarlouis.

 

 

 

 LineUp German documentary productions and coproductions

 

 

 

 

 NUMBERS.

as single page:

• 45 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2024 •
• 44 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2023 •
• 43 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2022 •
• 42 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2021 •
• 41 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2020 •
• 40 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2019 •

• 46 FF Max Ophüls Preis 2025, January 20-26, 2025 •