Films about community, mischief and sensual pleasures
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg is delighted to have received five nominations at this year’s FIRST STEPS Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on 5 October 2026 at the Stage Theater des Westens in Berlin. Each nomination comes with a prize of 1,000 euros and recognises the creative work of emerging filmmakers from German-speaking countries.
Among the projects selected by the expert juries is the 80-minute film NICHTS BLEIBT UND NICHTS VERSCHWINDET (directed by Paul Sonntag), which is nominated in the Documentary Film category. It tells the story of a small supermarket in Berlin which, in 2022, had to make way for a multi-storey residential block after 41 years. The film follows staff and local residents in the months leading up to and following the closure, exploring how the neighbourhood is changing as a result. The jury’s verdict: “NICHTS BLEIBT UND NICHTS VERSCHWINDET transforms an everyday setting into a microcosm of social change. With great patience, the film gradually reveals itself to its audience, developing an extraordinary narrative depth in the process. (…) A remarkably cleverly composed, precise documentary film of incredible foresight.”
In the competition for the NO FEAR Bernd Eichinger Award for young producers, Tristan Schneider and Julius Wieler are in the running with his graduation film PARADEISA, which celebrated its world premiere this week at the Locarno International Film Festival. PARADEISA (directed by Marleen Valien) tells the story of Lou, who helps her penniless artist father to fake his own death in order to increase the value of his works. But as the lie takes on ever greater proportions, she realises that letting go may be the only way forward. “PARADEISA is a production that takes risks in terms of both content and form. The autobiographical nature of the material presented a particular challenge in many respects. The producers impressed the jury in particular with their responsible approach to the creative team and the real-life figures on whom the characters are based. (…) A production that not only enables artistic risk-taking but actively supports it,” praised the jury.
No fewer than three short films, all produced at FABW´s Animationsinstitut, are in with a chance of winning a First Steps Award in the Short Steps category:
The animated film SENSUAL (directed by Tanja Nuijten) depicts the sensation of physical closeness and tenderness during sexual foreplay: slugs crawling around a lip, a big cat clinging tightly to a woman’s body, and flamingos gently stroking her legs. The animals represent the partner’s touches. Through a succession of visual and abstract metaphors, the various sensations within the body are brought to life. “Animal metaphors, the subtlest of movements and an extraordinary soundscape merge to create a cinematic experience that makes touch almost physically tangible. It is precisely in the observation of the smallest details that the film unfolds its greatest impact and demonstrates the narrative possibilities that animation opens up beyond realistic depiction,” said the jury.
SEND NUDES (directed by David Sick) has already been nominated for the Student Academy Awards this year. It tells the story of two young lovers in a long-distance relationship at the end of the 16th century. As their parents do not allow them to meet, they exchange their fantasies via carrier pigeon. “With a fine sense of timing and situational comedy, the film combines a historical world with modern forms of communication to create a story that holds the viewer’s attention from the first to the last minute. The high-quality 3D animation and the cleverly constructed screenwriting complement each other to form a thoroughly coherent whole. An animation film of exceptional quality that is as funny as it is technically impressive,” was the jury’s verdict.
QAMAJAI (Directing: Yerkezhan Sabitbekova*): A woman lies on the floor; her friends comfort her and process the traumatic experience through dance. The confrontation with the tormentor ultimately exposes him as a small, pathetic man. The jury was impressed: “QAMAJAI finds a visual language for something that can scarcely be put into words. With impressive clarity, the film explores violence, trauma and the power of collective solidarity, without resorting to sensational imagery or simplistic answers. (…) Stylistically original, emotionally precise and universally accessible, Yerkezhan Sabitbekova has created a cinematic miniature of remarkable power.”