Summer Special Will Feature the 2021 Berlinale Competition Audience Award
The International Jury already made their Competition award selections in March of this year, and now at the Summer Special (June 9 - 20), the festival audience will have the opportunity to vote on those same 15 films for the 2021 Berlinale Competition Audience Award.
At this year’s festival this audience award will be presented one time only for the Competition section, joining the traditional Panorama Audience Award, which has been presented annually since 1999.
“Our stalwart audiences had to wait a long time for the news that they would be able to enjoy the Berlinale films this year. That’s why we wanted to give viewers an additional way to participate in the Berlinale and created the 2021 Berlinale Competition Audience Award. We’re looking forward to strong participation and we’re curious to see which film wins,” say the directors of the Berlinale, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.
Just like the Panorama Audience Award, the 2021 Berlinale Competition Audience Award will be presented in cooperation with radioeins (rbb), rbb Fernsehen and the Berlin International Film Festival. Ballots and ballot boxes will be set up at the respective venues for viewers. The presentation of both Audience Awards will take place on June 20.
2021 Berlinale Competition Audience Award
Award presentation and screening of the winning film
June 20, 2021 at 7 pm at Freiluftkino Museumsinsel
Panorama Audience Award
Award presentation and screening of the winning film
June 20, 2021 at 9.30 pm at Freiluftkino Kreuzberg
Von links nach rechts / from left to right: Janna Ji Wonders © Michael Reusse, Orwa Nyrabia © Roger Cremers 2019, Albertina Carri © Alejandra Lopez
Berlinale Documentary Award – Funded by rbb
Albertina Carri, Orwa Nyrabia, Janna Ji Wonders
The Berlin International Film Festival has long been committed to the diversity of documentary forms. A distinct award for the best documentary film was launched in 2017. As of 2020, the Berlinale Documentary Award, endowed with 40,000 Euros in prize money, will be sponsored by public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb). In total, 16 documentary forms from the sections Competition, Berlinale Special, Encounters, Panorama, Forum, Generation and Perspektive Deutsches Kino are nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award. The prize money will be shared by the director and the producer of the winning film. The award will be presented during the official Award Ceremony at the Freiluftkino Museumsinsel on June 13, 2021 at 9.00 pm. This year's jury comprises Argentinian director, producer scriptwriter Albertina Carri, Syrian producer and head of IDFA Orwa Nyrabia and German-American director and singer Janna Ji Wonders.
Further information on the jury and the nominated films can be found here.
GWFF Best First Feature Award
Since 2006, when it introduced the GWFF Best First Feature Award, the Berlinale has been even more committed to supporting the next generation of filmmakers. The award is endowed with 50,000 Euros, donated by the GWFF (Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrechten), a society dedicated to safeguarding film and television rights. The prize money is to be split between the producer and the director of the winning film. Additionally, the director will be awarded with a high-quality viewfinder as both a useful instrument and memorable trophy. In total, 13 directorial feature film debuts from the sections Competition, Encounters, Panorama, Forum, Generation and Perspektive Deutsches Kino are nominated for the GWFF Best First Feature Award. The award will be presented during the official Award Ceremony at the Freiluftkino Museumsinsel on June 13, 2021 at 9.00 pm. This year's jury comprises the journalist, critic and film programmer Carmen Gray (New Zealand and United Kingdom), director and curator Azu Nwagbogu (Nigeria) and curator and programmer Wieland Speck (Germany).
Further information on the jury and the nominated films can be found here.
