Cuvilliés-Theater Munich during the award ceremony

Since 2002 · annually in Munich

German Film Award
for Peace– The Bridge

The central project of the Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund e.V. – an award for filmmakers whose work stands for tolerance, human rights and peace.

About the prize

A bridge between cinema and responsibility.

Detail of the award trophies – wood, hand-crafted

The German Film Award for Peace – The Bridge is awarded each year in the run-up to Filmfest München. Endowed in memory of Bernhard Wicki, the award is programmatically tied to his key work “The Bridge” (1959).

Until 2012, the award was called Bernhard Wicki Film Prize – The Bridge – The German Film Award for Peace. Today the Directing Prize (national and international), the Acting Prize, the Newcomer Prize, the Special Prize and the Honorary Prize are awarded – all with equal weight for the shared cause.

The award is presented in a festive setting – most recently at the historic Cuvilliés Theatre in the Munich Residenz, one of the most significant Rococo theatres in Europe.

Five prizes – one cause.

In line with the association’s statutes (version of 1 May 2014), the German Film Award for Peace is awarded in five categories of equal standing.

Category

Directing Prize

For a director of an outstanding film of human and political dimension – national and international.

Category

Acting Prize

For an outstanding actor and his or her socio-political, humanistic stance.

Category

Newcomer Prize

For a director at the start of their career – supporting artistically valuable, socially engaged film work.

Category

Special Prize

In special cases, for a film, a personality, an overall project or a documentary.

Category

Honorary Prize

Non-monetary award for an outstanding lifetime achievement in the spirit of peace and international understanding.

Nominations may be made by jury members and the board. The jury is appointed by the chair of the board; its members are independent and bound to confidentiality. Decisions are taken by simple majority; legal recourse against the selection decisions is excluded.

The award trophies on an antique side table at the Cuvilliés Theatre — The trophy
An endless row of bridge pillars, with the human figure at its centre – a symbol of a bridge that grows further with each laureate, around the world.
Bronze cast with gold-hammered lettering, created by the Bulgarian sculptor Grigor Mitzev. Selected through a competition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.

Impressions

2025 Ceremony at the Cuvilliés Theatre

Impressions from the 24th German Film Award for Peace – The Bridge on 24 June 2025 at the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich.

Recording on ARD Mediathek

Watch the full 2025 ceremony – free of charge.

Open Mediathek

Photos: 2025 ceremony

Carried by

Organisers & partners.

The German Film Award for Peace is a joint project – carried by an alliance of association, politics and the film industry, made possible through the support of strong patrons.

Organisers

Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund e.V.
Bavarian State Government
SPIO – Central Organisation of the German Film Industry

Funded by

FFF Bayern
City of Munich
and further partners

Media partner

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
Important partner and long-standing supporter of the German Film Award for Peace.

Chronicle

Laureates since 2002

All awards have equal standing – listed chronologically by year of presentation.

2025
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Mohammad Rasoulof – Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Tim Fehlbaum – September 5
- Newcomer Prize
  Constanze Klaue – Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen
- Special Prize
  Nawi: Dear Future Me
2024
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Julia von Heinz – Treasure – Familie ist ein fremdes Land
- Acting Prize
  Christian Friedel – The Zone of Interest
- Special Prize
  Mstyslav Chernov – 20 Tage in Mariupol
2023
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Romain Gavras – Athena
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Kilian Riedhof – Meinen Hass bekommt ihr nicht
- Special Prize
  Steffi Niederzoll – Sieben Winter in Teheran
2022
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Catherine Corsini – In den besten Händen
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Andreas Dresen – Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush
- Special Prize
  Maryna Er Horbatsch – Klondike
2021
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Kaouther Ben Hania – Der Mann, der seine Haut verkaufte
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Philipp Stölzl – Schachnovelle
- Newcomer Prize
  Jan Philipp Weyl – Running Against The Wind
- Honorary Prize
  Senta Berger
2020
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Ladj Ly – Die Wütenden – Les Misérables
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Jonathan Jakubowicz – Resistance – Widerstand
2019
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Nadine Labaki – Capernaum – Stadt der Hoffnung
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Michael Herbig – Ballon
- Special Prize
  Talal Derki – Of Fathers and Sons – Die Kinder des Kalifats
2018
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Ziad Doueiri – Der Affront
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Lars Kraume – Das schweigende Klassenzimmer
- Newcomer Prize
  Katja Benrath – Watu Wote – All of us
- Special Prize
  Feras Fayyad – Die letzten Männer von Aleppo
2017
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Aki Kaurismäki – Die andere Seite der Hoffnung
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Simon Verhoeven – Willkommen bei den Hartmanns
- Acting Prize
  Julia Vysotskaya – Paradies
- Honorary Prize
  Andrei Kontschalowski
2016
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Tobias Lindholm – A War
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Kai Wessel – Nebel im August
- Acting Prize
  Burghart Klaußner – Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer
- Newcomer Prize
  Deniz Gamze Ergüven – Mustang
- Special Prize
  Gianfranco Rosi – Seefeuer
2015
- Directing Prize · Int.
  Abderrahmane Sissako – Timbuktu
- Directing Prize · Nat.
  Oliver Hirschbiegel – Elser – Er hätte die Welt verändert
- Newcomer Prize
  Burhan Qurbani – Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark.
- Special Prize
  Klaus Härö – Die Kinder des Fechters
2014
- Directing Prize
  Justin Chadwick – Mandela – Der lange Weg zur Freiheit
- Newcomer Prize · Nat.
  Rick Ostermann – Wolfskinder
- Newcomer Prize · Int.
  Yann Demange – ’71
- Honorary Prize
  Klaus Maria Brandauer
2013
- Directing Prize
  Mira Nair – The Reluctant Fundamentalist
- Acting Prize
  Riz Ahmed – The Reluctant Fundamentalist
- Newcomer Prize
  Daniel Harrich – Der blinde Fleck
- Special Prize
  Haifaa Al Mansour – Das Mädchen Wadjda
2012
- Directing Prize
  Icíar Bollaín – Und dann der Regen (También la lluvia)
- Acting Prize
  Zrinka Cvitešić – My Beautiful Country
- Newcomer Prize
  Michaela Kezele – My Beautiful Country
- Honorary Prize
  Michael Verhoeven
2011
- Directing Prize
  Susanne Bier – In einer besseren Welt
- Newcomer Prize
  Yasemin Şamdereli – Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland
- Newcomer Prize
  Maggie Peren – Die Farbe des Ozeans
- Special Prize
  Cinema Jenin(Project)
- Honorary Prize
  Maximilian Schell
2010
- Directing Prize
  Jasmila Žbanić – Zwischen uns das Paradies (Na Putu)
- Acting Prize
  Sibel Kekilli – Die Fremde
- Newcomer Prize
  Philip Koch – Picco
2009
- Directing Prize
  Hans-Christian Schmid – Sturm
- Acting Prize
  Ulrich Tukur – John Rabe
2008
- Directing Prize
  Marie Noëlle & Peter Sehr – Die Frau des Anarchisten
2007
- Directing Prize
  Marco Kreuzpaintner & Kevin Kline – Trade – Willkommen in Amerika
2006
- Directing Prize
  Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck & Ulrich Mühe – Das Leben der Anderen
2005
- Directing Prize
  Marc Rothemund – Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage
2004
- Directing Prize
  Volker Schlöndorff – Der neunte Tag
2003
- Directing Prize
  Marceline Loridan-Ivens – Birkenau und Rosenfeld
- Honorary Prize
  Anouk Aimée
2002
- Directing Prize
  Goran Paskaljević – How Harry became a Tree

Support the German Film Award for Peace.

Would you like to support the German Film Award for Peace, contribute as a partner or learn more about the annual ceremony? Get in touch with us.

Get in touch

German Film Awardfor Peace– The Bridge

A bridge between cinema and responsibility.

Five prizes – one cause.

Directing Prize

Acting Prize

Newcomer Prize

Special Prize

Honorary Prize

2025 Ceremony at the Cuvilliés Theatre

Organisers & partners.

Laureates since 2002

Support the German Film Award for Peace.

German Film Award
for Peace– The Bridge