The Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung was a competition and a year-long training program with tailor-made workshops for emerging filmmakers from Germany and Eastern Europe (2004-2014) and from Germany and the Arab World (2012-2021) – a unique support and exchange program that was particularly appreciated in the Arab world.
From 2010 until the end of the project in March 2021, my agency Schyle Filmwork was commissioned by the Robert Bosch Stiftung with the following tasks:
▸ Organisation, coordination, design of all workshops, project management, financial control and processing, cooperation with international partners, supervision of the international jury, website editing, social media, talent research.
▸ Organisation of the annual award ceremony as part of Berlinale Talents and the annual Film Prize Dinner, a festive networking event during the Berlinale.
The program
Running from 2012 until 2021, the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung was a competition and year-long training program for emerging talents from Germany and the Arab World, who wanted to realize a joint film project in co-production.
Three Film Prizes, each endowed with 60,000 euros, were awarded annually by the international Film Prize Jury in the categories short animation, short fiction film, and short or feature length documentary.
The training program offered tailor-made workshops – PROJECT MARKET, PROJECT LAB, PITCH FORUM – for the Film Prize Nominees, organized in cooperation with partners from the Arab World and Germany.
The nominated German-Arab film teams could benefit from consultations on project development, discuss international co-production matters with experts, receive pitching training to prepare for their pitch to the Film Prize Jury and possibly win the Film Prize for making the film.
Finally, the Film Prize winners were announced at the award ceremony held during Berlinale Talents each year.
The aim of the Film Prize was to provide first international co-producing experience, to offer support in the film business and to foster the idea of intercultural exchange. Furthermore, opening the door to various film markets and festivals, the participants could benefit from valuable platforms with the film industry, hence establish or extend their network.
Many ongoing intercultural friendships were formed during this joint journey.
Film Prize Team: Frank Albers, Rabih El-Khoury, Christine Kopf, Karin Schyle
Film Prize Jury 2012-2021: Mohannad Al-Bakri, Vincenzo Bugno, George David, Johannes Ebert, Doris Hepp, Elke Kaschl Mohni, Marianne Khoury, Hania Mroué, Roman Paul, Alexander Wadouh
Film Prize Experts 2012-2021: Raed Andoni, Pauline Carbo, Cathy de Haan, Fabian Driehorst, Ayman El-Amir, Stefan Gieren, Maike Mia Höhne, Thanassis Karathanos, Alaa Karkouti, Sibylle Kurz, Roshanak Behesht Nedjad, Irit Neidhardt, Tobias Pausinger, Myriam Sassine, Sabine Sidawi, Stefano Tealdi, Selina Ukwuoma