Young Actors Award

The Young Actors Award will be presented for the first time in 2024 and honors an outstanding acting performance by an up-and-coming actor. The award thus continues the IFFMH's rich tradition of promoting up-and-coming filmmakers with a forward-looking focus. The award is endowed with 10,000 euros and, with the exception of the Retrospective, is presented across all sections of the festival. From three nominated young actors* who will be shown at the festival, the international jury will honor what it considers to be the most outstanding performance. The prize is sponsored by the Heidelberg-based consultancy cbs.

Ariella Mastroianni

Ariella Mastroianni is a Canadian-American actress, author and musician. She has appeared in five productions to date, including several by American director Bruce Wemple. Together with director Ryan J. Sloan, she founded the production company Telstar Films and wrote the screenplay for ›Gazer‹. She is nominated for her convincing portrayal of a young mother with a treacherous illness in ›Gazer‹. The range of her acting from focus to illness-induced somnambulistic derangement and from fear to courage and love for her film daughter is impressive.