International Award

The International Newcomer Award, the main award of the IFFMH, is endowed with 30,000 euros, donated by the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation. With this award, the international jury honours the best directorial work of the respective year, recognizing what they consider to be the strongest work and the directorial talent that is evident in it.

The International Jury consists of three outstanding personalities from the international film industry, artists, designers and thinkers of cinema. These personalities change from year to year and are newly appointed by us for each season.

Christian Klandt

Christian Klandt was a founding member of the Berliner Theaterdiscounter, before studying directing at the Film University Konrad Wolf in Potsdam. In his films, he focuses on subcultures, outsiders, and moments of crisis. His debut feature ›Weltstadt‹ (2008) was shown at over 40 festivals and received international acclaim. With ›Leif in Concert Vol. 2‹ (2019) – an homage to jazz bars – he won the Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino. His series ›Wir sind jetzt‹ was successfully broadcasted on RTL and aired in numerous countries. With ›Sterben für Beginner‹ (2024), based on Eric Wrede’s bestseller “The End – Das Buch vom Tod”, he won the Audience Award at the Festival des Deutschen Films.

Dea Kolumbegashvili

Dea Kolumbegashvili is a Georgian director and screenwriter. Her first feature, ›Beginning‹ (2020), caused a sensation internationally, winning the top prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival as well as the FIPRESCI Award in Toronto. Her follow-up film ›April‹ (2024) received the Special Jury Prize in Venice and screened at the IFFMH as a Centre Piece. With this masterpiece, she cemented her status as one of the most important voices in contemporary cinema. In her home country, ruled by an authoritarian government, the film was banned, and she is no longer granted filming permits there. She is currently developing her next project in Berlin.

Katalin Moldovai

Katalin Moldovai is a Hungarian director, screenwriter, and producer, born in Transylvania (formerly Siebenbürgen). She first studied at Sapientia University in Cluj-Napoca and later completed a master’s degree in film and television directing at the Budapest Metropolitan University. She became known for several short and documentary films, including ›After Season‹, ›Burok‹, and ›As Up to Now‹. Her feature debut, the school drama ›Without Air‹ (2023), received multiple awards – including the Student Jury Award at our 72nd edition. The film reflects the current political and social climate in Hungary.