BRAUNSCHWEIGER FILM PRIZE
The "Braunschweiger Filmpreis" - endowed with 4.000 euros, is awarded to the best German speaking up-and-coming actor/actress and is sponsored by a group of festival fans.
2022: Pablo Caprez for his role in SOUL OF A BEAST
SOUL OF A BEAST
On a shimmering summer night, 19-year-old father Gabriel, his best friend Joel and his girlfriend Corey wander the streets. During a break-in at the zoo, a tense closeness develops between Gabriel and Corey. But the freedom of the intoxicating night is not without consequences. Pumas and giraffes have escaped, throwing the city into turmoil. And Gabriel's life is also thrown off track. Between paternal responsibility and his own passion, he searches for the right path. SOUL OF A BEAST unleashes a storm of magical images that tell of the dichotomy between dream and reality, of pain and love. Narration dissolves and becomes fantasy.
Biography Director:Lorenz Merz, born in Zurich in 1981, explored music, painting and photography before finding the medium of his inner expression in film. Studied film in Zurich and Buenos Aires. Merz creates films in the trades of direction, screenplay and camera.
JURY STATEMENT on PABLO CAPREZ
SOUL OF A BEAST completely captivates us with its setting, the wild, apocalyptic outskirts of Zurich, and with its wonderful actors, above all PABLO CAPREZ.
In unbridled greed for life, the young father GABRIEL falls in love with his best friend's girlfriend.
PABLO's incredible intensity takes us on a breathtaking journey through GABRIEL's hell trip.
We can watch him fascinated in every second as he follows his role with dedication, speed and solidarity towards the other characters; physically and mentally!
At the same time, no matter what state he is in, he never forgets his unconditional and unbroken tender care for his little, beloved son JAMY.
PABLO CAPREZ lets us look deep into his soul at every moment, giving himself completely to the role. We see here: Sturm und Drang, love and tenderness, addiction, despair and joy! We are allowed to experience everything at first hand! This rebellious GABRIEL is a stunner and must be awarded!
Dear PABLO, as every pore of your body seems to be filled with this role, you have drawn us, the jury, into an irresistible pull from the first second on.
We congratulate you from the bottom of our hearts for this fantastic performance and say:
Congratulations on being awarded this year's Braunschweig Film Prize for Best Young Actor!
Bibiana Beglau
Since the beginning of her career, Bibiana Beglau has worked with directors who are shaping contemporary theatre and film. She repeatedly performed under the direction of Christoph Schlingensief, Dimiter Gotscheff, Einar Schleef, Frank Castorf, Luk Perceval, Martin Kušej, Sebastian Nübling and Thomas Ostermeier before achieving national fame and international recognition with her leading role in Volker Schlöndorff's feature film 'Die Stille nach dem Schuss'. In 2014 she was voted 'Actress of the Year 2014' by Theater heute and in 2015 she was awarded the German Theatre Prize Der Faust for her special acting performance. Bibiana Beglau is a member of the Akademie der Künste as well as the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste.
Sabine Weimann
Abitur in Hamburg. Grew up in Cologne and Aachen. Studied at the Free University of Berlin. Sabine Weimann looks back on 30 years of professional experience in casting for film and television. During this time she initiated two new casting departments for UFA, including team building and management. Projects she has worked on include All You Need, Bonusfamilie, Meine Tochter Helen, Hinter Gittern, Soko Wismar, Tatort, Rudi Dutschke, die Ungehorsame, die Schatzinsel, etc.
Klaus Buhlmann
One of the donors of the prize. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his professional career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later moved to the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has enthusiastically devoted himself to his passion for theatre and film.
2021: Sara Fazilat for her role in NICO
NICO
NICO, a German-Persian woman, is the victim of a racist attack and is seriously injured. This changes the self-confident, cheerful young woman. She isolates herself more and more until she realizes that she has to find a way back into life and out of the victim role. Through karate lessons she regains her inner strength, but her newfound sense of power quickly gets out of hand.
Biography Director:Born in Haan in 1984, working as a cinematographer and editor. In 2014, after several short films and documentaries, film directing studies at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, which she finished in 2021 with her graduation film and first feature film NICO.
JURY-STATEMENT to SARA FAZILAT
With a power that captivates us and with your presence, you, Sara, convince us in every phase of the often documentary-like drama in your portrayal of Nico. Truly you show the title character in all emotional facets: Beginning with a carefree cheerfulness, loving caring, later in pain, urgent helplessness and a generously insightful vulnerability, in her irrepressible anger for justice.
The unconditional determination with which you defend your character Nico in martial arts training, even merge with it, has overwhelmed us and convinced us of your full emotional and physical commitment to the role. We hope for many more films with you and only the best for you on your exciting way.
Jasmin Tabatabai
German actress and jazz singer with Iranian roots. She became known for the leading role in BANDITS (1997), for which she also composed a large part of the soundtrack.
Klaus Buhlmann
One of the donors of the prize. Klaus Buhlmann was born in Braunschweig. He began his professional career at the Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper and later moved to the Lower Saxony Police. There he worked for many years as head of department and spokesman for the Braunschweig police department. Since his retirement, he has enthusiastically devoted himself to his passion for theatre and film.
2020: TUCKÉ ROYALE for his role in NEUBAU
NEUBAU is a queer 'Gesamtkunstwerk' from Uckermark (North-Eastern Brandenburg, Germany). This socially relevant film captivates the audience with its steady, minimalist camera work. Governed by conscientiousness and loving compassion, the main character Markus often radiates great sadness and melancholy when he dives into daydreams to ease his yearning to belong and to live freely.
Tucké Royale’s portrait of Markus is compelling, and he equips him with extraordinary placidity that inspires us and creates a degree of empathy that lasts long after the film has ended.
We all agree: Please continue to make movies Tucké! Kisses, the Jury of the “Braunschweig Film Award” 2020.
2019: Max Hubacher for his role in „Midnight Runner“
Jonas is cook, he trains for the Olympic Games and has a girlfriend. Together they’re looking for a flat. He loves his job and his sport. At first glance this sounds like an orderly life. But the trauma that is triggered by the loss of his brother turns the rather shy and loved by his peers young man into a robbing, violent and in the end killing offender.
MAX HUBACHER plays this complex character with such an intensity and calmness, it nearly leaves the audience speechless.
Mostly we see him alone, in long scenes without speech. But one wouldn’t dare to take their eyes off of Max Hubacher as there is constantly something happening and he is constantly full of energy. His play is never pretentious, there is nothing that is too much, there are no doubts about his inner conflict and emptiness. In this bodily Tour de France we suffer and run with him the endless kilometre during which he hopes for salvation. And we hope for him as well. Want to put our arms around him, comfort him.
Very controlled and with a lot of sensibility Max Hubacher plays the increasing loss of control of his actions and his fight against this happening. The monster, which he created with utmost humanly traits keeps preying on the audience’s mind long after the film has ended.
It gives us great pleasure to award Max Hubacher with the Braunschweiger film award 2019.
Jury 2018
Luise Brinkmann
Until 2016, Brinkmann studied Directing at the IFS International Filmschule Köln. Her graduate film and first feature film BEAT BEAT HEART (2016) premiered at the film festival Munich and received the special jury prize of the German Cinema New Talent Award. That same year, Brinkmann's film was part of the New German Film screenings at Filmfest Braunschweig.
Klaus Buhlmann
Was born in Braunschweig. His career path began at the Braunschweiger Zeitung and continued later at the police department Niedersachsen. There he took on the position of the chief of the department and the spokesperson of the police department Braunschweig. Since retirement he is tending to his passion for theater and film.
Karsten Mielke
Karsten Antonio Mielke, born 1977 in Recife in Brasil and grew up in Schleswig Holstein. After traveling through Europe he moved to Berlin. There he took acting classes grom Larry Moss, Giles Foreman and Mike Bernardin. He played the male lead in the internationally awarded film DIE TOCHTER by Mascha Schlilinski, which premiered at the Berlinale 2017.
Franziska Pohlmann
Feature film debut THE CROWN OF ARKUS. Recording with the Filmorchestra Babelsberg. Nomination for the German Film Prize Metropolis 2015 in the category Best Director of a Children/Youth film by the Director's Guild. 2016 director of the fourth edition of the SZ magazine production regarding the NSU protocols. 2017 & 2018 Director of children's series SCHLOSS EINSTEIN. Composer and conductor for diverse choir, theatre and film productions.