Jury statements 2025
Prize of the Children's Jury for "Honey" by Natasha Arthy
"All of the films impressed us in their own way, and we would like to thank everyone who made it possible for us to see these wonderful films. But we particularly liked one film. This was partly due to the impressive acting performances of the children and the integration of music. Despite the serious subjects such as difficult family circumstances and financial worries, we had a lot of fun watching it. That was mainly due to the great cast. We liked all the characters very much, but we especially loved the main character's sister. We would also like to mention the detailed sets and props."
Prize of the Youth Jury for "Kevlar Soul" by Maria Eriksson-Hecht
„We are very greatful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful festival. We watched eight great movies and after a long discussion we finaly decided on one of them. This decision fell based on the outstanding work of the skript writer and the director, the incredible acting performance aswell as the great porttraying of the importance of family unity while dealing with social problems."
Children's & Youth Film Prize for "Live A Little" by Fanny Ovesen
„This movie hit us right in the guts and took us on a journey we will never forget.
The director creates an autentic atmospere which brings us so close to her characters, that we couldn't stop talking about it. The perfect balance between tension, hunor and emotion will surely have the same impact on anyone who watches this film."
– Children's & Youth Film Prize Jury
Nordic & Baltic Short Film Prize for "Memories move like Distant Islands" by Saarlotta Virri
„The jury of the Best Nordic & Baltic Short Film awards a film that with a spellbinding visual language, splendid sound design and a subtle sense of humor took us on a poetic research journey into the misty and mysterious wetlands of yesterday, today and tomorrow.“
– Jury of The Norcic & Baltic Short Film Prize
CineStar Prize for "Die Stimme des Ingenieurs" by André Siegers
„We only truly learn to appreciate the aspects of what makes us individuals when we lose them. On multiple cinematic levels, this short film reflects on the effect of voices - sometimes descriptive and realistic, sometimes technological, sometimes magical/science fiction-like. The film's omissions open up possibilities for interpretation and space for curiosity. It is intimate without being intrusive and gives the protagonist time and closeness. The film is not about illness, but about people and what defines them."
Documentary Film Prize for "Mr. Nobody Against Putin" by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin
"The Verdi jury for the best Documentary Film Award honors a film that portrays the courageous resistance against a totalitarian system. The film provides a unique and authentic insight into the machinery of propaganda and the effects of war on a school in Karabash, Russia. The audience witnesses the transformation of a kind and trusted teacher into an active member of the resistance. Through its affectionate and humorous storytelling, we experience the horrors of war up close."
– Jury of the Documentary Film Prize
Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Feature Film for "Redoubt" by John Skoog
„The Baltic jury awards a beautiful film that, with great sensitivity, reflects on the history and the present state of our world — a film about human kindness and madness, portraying a horrible subject with striking grace.“
– Jury of the Baltic Film Prize
Interfilm Church Prize for "Renovation" by Gabrielė Urbonaitė
„The Interfilm Jury awards the price to a film that shows in a sensitive way the inner development of an young woman from indiciveness to the abilitiy to catch her life. This inner renewal corraletes with the renovation of her tenament house. The film is dealing with the present situation in telling about ukraian workers renovating a sovjet building in Lithuania.“
– Jury of the Interfilm Church Prize
NDR-Filmpreis for "Second Victims" by Zinnini Elkington
"With precise direction and immense suspense, the film transforms an institutional tragedy into a deeply human story. This compelling debut takes us through guilt, grief, and forgiveness with perfect rhythm and outstanding acting performances - leaving us eager to see more of the director’s work in the future."
– NDR-Jury
