German Film Prize 2019: Seven Awards Go to MDM-Backed Productions

The drama "Gundermann" by Andreas Dresen was the star of last night’s 69th edition of the German Film Prize, held in Berlin. This unique musician’s portrait, backed by MDM with 600,000 euros, scooped up not only the Golden Lola for best feature film, but also the awards for best directing, best screenplay, best male lead actor, best set design, and best costume design. In addition, the political Thriller "Blame Game" by Philipp Leinemann, funded with 250,000 euros, won the Lola for best male supporting actor (Alexander Fehling).

Claas Danielsen, CEO of Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), says: "Congratulations to Andreas Dresen and the cast and crew of ‘Gundermann’ on this beautiful acknowledgment of their extraordinary, multilayered, and poignant piece of art. Six Lolas for ‘Gundermann’ and an additional Lola awarded to Philipp Leinemann’s ‘Blame Game’, which was also funded by MDM, provide abundant proof that our region of Mitteldeutschland continues to put out unique films of outstanding artistic quality and acute political relevance."

For Andreas Dresen, who shot "Gundermann" at numerous locations in Mitteldeutschland, including the open-pit coal mine of Nochten, the Ferropolis park near Gräfenhainichen, and Halle-Silberhöhe, the Lola for best directing comes as the third award in this category after "Cloud 9" and "Stopped on Track". The German Film Academy also honored the stellar performance of Alexander Scheer, who plays Gundermann himself, with the Lola for best male actor in a leading role. The Lola for best screenplay went to "Gundermann" screenwriter Laila Stieler. Susanne Hopf and Sabine Greunig snatched the Lolas for best set design and best costume design, respectively. For his performance in "Blame Game", the German Film Academy awarded Alexander Fehling the Lola for best male actor in a supporting role.

The German Film Prize, aka Lola, is the most important award in the German filmmaking world and the one worth the most prize money. Annually, the approximately 2,000 members of the German Film Academy pick the winners of the Lolas, which together come with prize money of almost three million euros, underwritten by the German Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs. The main prize, the Lola for best fictional feature film, is awarded in the Golden, Silver, and Bronze version.

German Film Prizes awarded to MDM-funded productions in 2019:

Best fictional feature film - Golden Lola: "Gundermann"

Best directing: "Gunderman", Andreas Dresen

Best male actor in a leading role: "Gundermann", Alexander Scheer

Best screenplay: "Gundermann", Laila Stieler

Best male actor in a supporting role: "Blame Game", Alexander Fehling

Best set design: "Gundermann", Susanne Hopf

Best Costume Design: "Gundermann", Sabine Greunig