Prizes of the Independent Juries

Since 1992, the international film organisations of the Protestant and Catholic Churches - INTERFILM and SIGNIS - have been represented by the Ecumenical Jury. It consists of six members and awards its main prize to a film entered in the Competition. It also awards two other prizes, both worth 2,500 Euros, one to a film from the Panorama and one to a film in the Forum.

The prizes go to directors who have succeeded in portraying actions or human experiences that are in keeping with the Gospels, or in sensitising viewers to spiritual, human or social values.

The juries of the “Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique” (FIPRESCI), the international film critics association, view films from the Competition programme and the Panorama and Forum sections. They award a prize for the best film in each of these sections.

The jury of the “Guild Film Prize” is composed of three members who run cinemas and are members of the AG Kino - Gilde e.V. (association of German Art House Cinemas). The jury awards its prize to a film screened in the Competition.

The "Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai" (C.I.C.A.E.), the International Confederation of Art House Cinemas, forms one jury for the Panorama and one for the Forum. Each jury awards one prize in its section.

Launched for the first time in 2003 within the Cannes Film Festival, the "Europa Cinemas Label" has been created in order to help European films increase their distribution and raise their profile with audiences and media. The Label is since then awarded by a jury of five member exhibitors to a European film selected in the Directors' Fortnight section in Cannes and since 2004 in the Venice Days. Since 2005, Europa Cinemas has been cooperating with the Berlinale to award the Label in the Panorama section.

The TEDDY AWARD – the most outstanding queer film prize in the world – is a socially engaged, political honour presented to films and people who communicate queer themes on a broad social platform, thereby contributing to tolerance, acceptance, solidarity and equality in society.

During the Berlinale the award is presented in the following categories: BEST FEATURE, BEST DOCUMENTARY / ESSAY FILM and BEST SHORT FILM as well as the SPECIAL JURY AWARD. Every year films from all sections of the Berlin International Film Festival compete for the TEDDY AWARDS.

Right from its beginnings in 1987, TEDDY has been intensively engaged in encouraging the next generation of filmmakers. From 2018 this commitment will find further expression in the introduction of the newly created L‛Oréal Paris TEDDY NEWCOMER AWARD, endowed by L‛Oréal Paris. The L‛Oréal Paris TEDDY NEWCOMER AWARD is being presented to a first or second feature-length film with a queer subject matter being screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.

A three-person jury awards the Caligari Film Prize to a film in the Forum. The prize is sponsored by the "German Federal Association of Communal Film Work" and the European Filmphilharmonic Institute. The winning film is honoured with 4,000 Euros, half of which is given to the director, the other half is meant to fund distribution.

The independent Peace Film Prize is awarded annually to films that distinguish themselves through a powerful message of peace and the skilful aesthetic execution of their themes. The jury for the award is composed of seven members, who view films from all sections. The Peace Film Prize is endowed with 5,000 euros in prize money and is presented in the form of a bronze sculpture designed by Otmar Alt.
The award is made possible with the support of the Zehlendorf Peace Intiative, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Weltfriedensdienst e.V.

The German branch of Amnesty International has awarded the Amnesty International Film Prize for the first time at the Berlinale 2005. The prize is worth 5,000 Euros. The jury will view films entered into the Competition, Panorama, Forum and Generation sections, paying special attention to documentaries. The aim of the prize is to draw the attention of audiences and representatives of the film industry to the theme of human rights and encourage filmmakers to tackle this topic.

A three-person jury awards the Heiner Carow Prize for the promotion of German cinematic arts to a documentary, feature or essay film in the Panorama section. The award is sponsored by the DEFA Foundation and is worth 5,000 euros. The prize honours films that address the social and political issues of today and in history with extraordinary aesthetic means.

All Berlinale visitors can use the voting cards to choose the winners of the Audience Award in the Panorama section. The Panorama Audience Award was inaugurated in 1999 and is presented by radioeins radio station, rbb television and the Panorama section.
The voting audience can win raffle prizes provided courtesy of Mastercard.

The jury is made up of twelve readers of the daily newspaper "Berliner Morgenpost". The prize is awarded to a feature film in the Competition section.

Since the Berlinale 2007, the Berlin-based national daily newspaper "Tagesspiegel" has awarded a Readers' Prize. The jury consists of nine members and the prize is given to the best film in the Forum.

The TEDDY readers’ jury from MANNSCHAFT magazine is presenting the TEDDY READERS’ AWARD powered by MANNSCHAFT at the TEDDY AWARDS prize-giving ceremony. Films with a queer subject matter from all sections of the Berlin International Film Festival are competing for the award.

A jury of three presents the Compass-Perspektive-Award for the best film in the current Perspektive Deutsches Kino programme. The award includes €5,000 in prize money and the director is given a trophy in the form of a compass.

Berlinale Talents and Perspektive Deutsches Kino jointly award in 2017 the annual Kompagnon-Fellowship. Eligible to apply are directors and screenwriters of short or feature films who were part of the last edition of Perspektive Deutsches Kino, as well as permanent residents of Germany who will participate in the “Script Station”, ”Doc Station” or ”Short Film Station” at the current edition of Berlinale Talents.

A jury, comprised of three film professionals, will select one winner from Berlinale Talents and one from Perspektive Deutsches Kino. In addition to a stipend of 5,000 euros (2,500 euros for short films) for the independent development of a screenplay or project, the “Kompagnon” also provides a mentoring programme to help strengthen the filmmaker’s artistic signature, alongside professional coaching and improved industry networking opportunities.

Since 2011, ARTE has presented the ARTE International Prize, which is worth €6,000 and goes to one of the projects selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

In 2015 the renowned Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, which comes with a prize money of EUR 20,000, was given to the producers of one of around 25 projects selected from the Berlinale Co-Production Market for the first time. Eligible for the award are Co-Production Market projects that have been conceived from the outset as theatrical co-productions involving at least two eligible Eurimages countries. These co-productions may not, however, be solely financial in nature. Outstanding artistic quality and a project’s chances of being realised as a majority European co-production are the main criteria for selecting the winner.

The Talent Project Market offers ten producers taking part in Berlinale Talents the opportunity to present their project to potential coproducers and backers at the Berlinale Co-Prouduction Market. Since 2004, the 10,000 euro VFF Talent Highlight Award has been donated by the VFF copyright agency for film and TV producers during the Talent Project Market. In addition to presenting the main award an international jury appoints two nominees, who will receive € 1,000 each.