17 May 2026 On the Screen (MD 2026/2)

Saarbrücken
(Germany) 2026

At the 47th Film Festival Max Ophuels Prize Saarbruecken, 19-25 January 2026, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, endowed with € 2500 by the Katholische Erwachsenenbildung Saarland – Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. and the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Evangelische Erwachsenenbildung im Saarland e.V., represented by the Evangelische Akademie im Saarland, was awarded to Wovon sollen wir träumen (What should we dream of) directed by Milena Aboyan, Constantin Hatz, Germany (2025).

Synopsis: The paths of three women cross at a food distribution centre. Laura has recently been released on parole and is supposed to stay out of trouble. But when a man makes racist remarks to Evîn, a Kurdish woman, Laura steps in to protect her. The situation escalates and police officer Julia arrives to settle the dispute. For a brief moment, the fates of the three women intersect – before they drift apart again and return to their own struggles for survival.

Motivation: What do we carry within us? What do we pass on? Our history, our wounds, our humanity? The movie shows in a gentle way how everything is bound together. Empathy and closeness can be possible and difficult at the same time. With clear pictures the movie invites us to take a deeper look: at the experience of violence, exclusion, internal and external struggles. At the end remains the hope that healing is possible, when one has the courage to break free from fate.

Members of the 2026 Jury: Oliver Gross, Austria; Alfred Jokesch, Austria; Anke Jung, Germany (President of the Jury); Marion Latz, Germany.

Berlin (Germany) 2026

At the 76th International Film Festival Berlin (13-22 February 2026), the Ecumenical Jury, appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS, awarded its Prize in the International Competition to Moscas (Flies) directed by Fernando Eimbcke (Mexico, 2026).

Motivation: This delicate and poetic film portrays an imaginative boy, searching for his mother, and an isolated landlady. In a world of flies, cosmic intruders, and malignant cells, the rich black-and-white images propel us on an exploration of the big city and its inherent inequalities, with openness and curiosity. This unexpected encounter melts away emotional barriers and inspires us to learn from children and their optimistic approach to life.

In the Panorama, the jury awarded its Prize, endowed with € 2.500 by the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference, to Bucks Harbor directed by Pete Muller (USA, 2026).

Motivation: Set in the harsh environment on the coast of Maine, this immersive documentary questions masculinity, allowing for resilience and transformation. Following the cycle of seasons, it elaborates on the relationship between human fragility and the force of nature.

In the Forum, the Jury awarded its Prize, endowed with € 2.500 by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), to River Dreams directed by Kristina Mikhailova (Kazakhstan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, 2026).

Motivation: Our award goes to a documentary in which the river becomes a metaphor for young women in Kazakhstan to share their experiences, their anger, and their hopes. In a society with rigid gender stereotypes, sexualized violence, and shrinking spaces for protest, this courageous film portrays the beauty of the river as a source of hope for the future, empowerment, and spiritual reflection.

Members of the 2026 Jury: Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati, Switzerland; Lea Wohl von Haselberg, Germany; Ingrid Stapf, Germany; Douglas Fahleson, Ireland (President of the Jury); Jean-Jacques Cunnac, France; Stephen Brown, United Kingdom.

Fribourg
(Switzerland) 2026

At the 40th Festival international du Films de Fribourg (20-29 2026, the Ecumenical Jury, appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS awarded its Prize of 5’000 CHF, donated by the Church Aid Organisation in Switzerland “Lenten Offering” and “Interfilm-Switzerland”, to the film The Sun Rises on Us All (still below) directed by Cai Shangjun (China, 2025).

Motivation of the Jury: Torn by guilt and condemned to a life without love, the protagonist searches for new light and hope. Can this succeed when the weight of an irreversible past crushes the couple, who seem destined to perish in a merciless society? With its restrained cinematography, this film aptly captures the depth of life’s inextricable paths in contemporary China. And so, in an unexpected way, “the sun rises on us all”.

Members of the Ecumenical Jury FIFF 2026: Frère Thomas Carrique (Cologny, Switzerland); Beat Dietschy (Bern, Switzerland); Elsbeth Fraanje (Gouda, Netherlands), President of the Jury; Claire Zombas (Vétraz-Monthoux, France).