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 Award (national and international), the Acting Award, the Newcomer Award, the Special Award and the Honorary Award 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.

Broadcast of the 25th Ceremony

The award ceremony will be broadcast in an extended compilation on Saturday, 27 June 2026, at 11:45 pm on 3sat.

On Tuesday, 30 June 2026, the programme will also be shown at 11:45 pm on BR Fernsehen.

Afterwards, the ceremony will also be available in the ARD Mediathek.

Five awards – 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 Award

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

Category

Acting Award

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

Category

Newcomer Award

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

Category

Special Award

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

Category

Honorary Award

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

Broadcast of the 25th Ceremony

Five awards – one cause.

Directing Award

Acting Award

Newcomer Award

Special Award

Honorary Award

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