The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the Wim Wenders Foundation have jointly awarded the 12th Wim Wenders Grant. At the Philara Collection in Düsseldorf, six recipients were awarded prize money worth a total 100,000 euros. The grant enables them to independently realise their innovative project ideas and artistic visions, with which they aim to shape the future of cinematic storytelling. Wim Wenders himself decided on the awarding of the grants. He was supported in the evaluation of the projects and in the personal selection interviews by Filmstiftung Managing Director Walid Nakschbandi, Mirko Derpmann (Creative Director, Scholz & Friends Agenda) and Hella Wenders (filmmaker and co-managing director of the Wim Wenders Foundation).
Wim Wenders: “In its twelfth year, the jury committee for the Wim Wenders Grant of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW reviewed a total of 56 submissions from all over Germany, more than ever before. The range of projects was impressive again this year, both in terms of the wealth of topics and the willingness to break new ground in storytelling. What all six selected projects have in common is that their creators are pursuing something that will require a great deal of inventiveness. We are convinced that this work will be worthwhile.“
Walid Nakschbandi: „Film thrives on those moments when new voices are heard – courageous, unconventional and full of promise for the future. Six filmmakers now have the freedom to make their voices heard. The Wim Wenders Grant is based on the conviction that art can only flourish where it is allowed to be conceived freely. On the other hand, Wim Wenders himself supports this scholarship. His eye for the extraordinary and his passion for young talent send a clear message: the future of storytelling always also lies in the hands of a new generation.“
GRANT HOLDERS
‘Amica’ by Fitore Muzaqi (NRW) Coming-of-age drama as a short-form mini-series, 20,000 Euro
‘A Million Monkeys Dream of Tigers’ by Arata Mori (Berlin) Poetic experimental documentary with thriller and crime elements, 20,000 Euro
The Silence That Follows by Ewan Waddell (Berlin) Experimental documentary on the innovative use of psychedelic-assisted trauma therapy in Ukraine, 20,000 Euro
Vivre (working title) by Chiara Fleischhacker (Thuringia) Documentary biopic about the 101 year old Holocaust survivor Raymond Renaud, 20,000 euro
‘Flowers from Erfurt’ by Sonia Kennebeck (Hamburg) Fictional feature film inspired by true events, 10,000 Euro
‘Trabajadores invisibles – The Invisible Workers’ (working title) by Jennifer Mallmann (NRW) Poetic documentary with animation, 10,000 Euro