50th International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte

Susanne travels to Kenya as a EU representative in order to estimate possible aid for a village that was attacked by terrorists. While the survivors hope for a collaboration on eye-to-eye level, it’s not more than a usual procedure for Susanne. She only realizes the consequences of her behaviour when it’s already too late.

 Best Production

From a drug-oversaturated techno event at 145 bpm to the after party at dawn: In an apartment, still showing the traces of last night, Dustin, a young trans* person, and their crew search for sense and connection in the melancholic atmosphere of the fresh of day - an exploration of affection, desire and identity.

 Best Feature Film Short

Johanna’s dangerous talent is showing early - after a traumatizing loss of control she is forced to keep her powers in check. As she gets older, it’s getting harder and harder to do, so she contacts a secret group. The members want to unleash Johanna’s powers and tempt her to more drastic steps.

 Best Genre Film

Held captive in Damascus, surrounded by war, a lonely man waits for his chance to leave the country. His isolation causes him to lose himself more and more in escape fantasies and monologues. Only his dog Baroud is there to respond with silence.

 Best Animation Film

Hayat has to leave her home behind. She reaches Berlin together with her husband and gets accomodation with his relatives. His aunt rejects Hayat because she is Kurdish and makes it difficult for them to settle. When they finally have hope again, a stroke of fate and a ruthless system force Hayat to make an inhumane decision.

 Best Feature Film

Nichts als Wiesen erstrecken sich am Horizont Katinkas ländlicher Idylle. Hinter der nüchternen harten Arbeit des Bauernlebens kommen allerdings die Probleme der eigentümlichen Landgesellschaft zu Tage, die es erschweren, das Leben einfach hinzunehmen wie es ist.

 Best Screenplay

All of Alva’s friends are boys. Together, they spend a never ending summer full of adventures in Berlin. The ten-year-old girl is the wildest one of them all: loud, cheeky, untamed - but still the day comes when her friends don’t want to have her around anymore. Only because she is a girl.

 Future Kids

When married couple Bay and Tam fled Vietnam and came to Germany 30 years ago, their children’s future was the priority. With great restraint, the film observes and reveals melancholic connections to their old home, which they sustain through video chats, boozy karaoke nights and streamed funerals.

 best documentary (long)

An atmospheric performance leads through nature and destruction.

 Best 360° Film

Palestinian boy Khodor grows up in the refugee camp Shatila, close to Beirut, without any papers. While fighting for citizenship, his right to education and health care, harrowing family secrets are revealed.

 best documentary (short)

After a depressive episode, Lou’s mother can’t get out of bed anymore. All while this was supposed to be a special birthday for the sixteen-year-old. When her crush surprises her with an invitation to a concert, Lou is torn between taking care of her mom, and following her growing feelings for Matz.

 Future Teens

In der Woche vor Ihrer Firmung wird die junge Valentina Zeugin von einem sexuellen Übergriff auf ihre beste Freundin. Die konservative Dorfgemeinschaft sieht darüber hinweg, was Valentina dazu treibt, den Abgründen in ihrer patriarchalen Gemeinde nachzugehen.

 Best Pitch