Foto: Clemens Porikys
Film Festival · 2026
German Film Award
All nominees, categories, and winners of the 2026 German Film Awards at a glance. Discover each film and the people behind them—click on a title or profile to learn more on ZANOA.
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All nominees, categories, and award winners of German Film Award 2026 at a glance. Explore every film and filmmaker — click any title or profile to learn more on ZANOA.
Films
12 films
About the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026
Since
1951
Edition
76th
Organiser
Deutsche Filmakademie
Prize Money
~€3M
Articles
11 Nominations · Cannes Jury Prize
IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN – Why This Film Is Becoming the Benchmark for Collaborative Cinema 2026
With 11 nominations at the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026, IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN demonstrates how direction, cinematography, editing, and every department together shape a distinctive cinematic language.
Read the article →5 Nominations · Best Feature Film
22 BAHNEN – Or: How Much Control Does It Take to Let Go?
Five Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 nominations for Mia Maariel Meyer's adaptation of Caroline Wahl's bestseller. An analysis of direction, cinematography, ensemble and score, between control and freedom.
Read the article →7 Nominations · Best Feature Film
ACH, DIESE LÜCKE, DIESE ENTSETZLICHE LÜCKE – When Loss Inhabits a Villa in Nymphenburg
Seven Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 nominations for Simon Verhoeven's adaptation of Joachim Meyerhoff's autobiographical novel. An analysis of direction, screenplay, ensemble and sound design, between comedy and grief.
Read the article →
Nomination · Best Documentary
IM PRINZIP FAMILIE – Or: What Happens When Love Is a Shift Schedule
Nominated for the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 as Best Documentary: Daniel Abma's seven-year long-term observation of a residential group in Brandenburg — and a quiet defence of observational cinema.
Read the article →Categories
Best Picture
Best Children's Movie
Most attended film
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best female actor in a main role
Best male actor in a main role
Best male actor in a supporting role
Best Cinematography
Best Editor
Best Make Up and Hair Artist
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Score
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects
Honorary Award
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Gallery
Press images will appear after the May 2026 ceremony.
Official press images ↗History of the Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis was first awarded in 1951, making it one of the oldest film awards in Europe. In West Germany it was originally a state prize presented by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, a reflection of the era's view of film as a cultural asset with socio-political significance.
With the founding of the Deutsche Filmakademie in 2003 and the handover of the award ceremony from 2005, the Deutscher Filmpreis underwent a decisive transformation: since then, the academy's approximately 2,200 members, filmmakers from all crafts, decide the winners themselves.
The trophy, the "Lola", has carried that name since 1999, named after the lead character in Josef von Sternberg's "Der blaue Engel" (1930) starring Marlene Dietrich, one of the most celebrated German films of all time.
Best Feature Film · Selected Winners
2024
Sterben
Matthias Glasner
2023
Das Lehrerzimmer
İlker Çatak
2022
Lieber Thomas
Andreas Kleinert
2021
Und morgen die ganze Welt
Julia von Heinz
2020
Systemsprenger
Nora Fingscheidt
2019
Styx
Wolfgang Fischer
2018
Aus dem Nichts
Fatih Akın
2017
Toni Erdmann
Maren Ade
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Deutscher Filmpreis?↓
The Deutscher Filmpreis, also known as the "Lola", is Germany's most prestigious film award. It is presented annually by the Deutsche Filmakademie in Berlin. What makes it unique: the prize money, totalling around €3 million, is not paid out to the winners, but reinvested as production grants for new film projects.
When does the Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 take place?↓
The 76th Deutscher Filmpreis 2026 ceremony will take place in May 2026 in Berlin. The exact date and venue will be announced by the Deutsche Filmakademie on their official website.
Who can win the Deutscher Filmpreis?↓
All German films and their contributors that were publicly screened in Germany during the respective cinema year are eligible for nomination and award. Voting is carried out by the approximately 2,200 members of the Deutsche Filmakademie.
What is the "Lola"?↓
The "Lola" is the trophy of the Deutscher Filmpreis, named after the character Lola from the film "Der blaue Engel" (1930). The statuette is awarded in three gilding levels: Gold for Best Feature Film, Silver for second place, and Bronze for third.
How does the Deutscher Filmpreis differ from other film awards?↓
The Deutscher Filmpreis is unique in its funding principle: the prize money does not go to the winners themselves, but is reinvested as production funds for new film projects. This makes the Lola not only an honour but also an important funding instrument for German cinema.
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