One of the most successful editions in the festival’s history came to an end on April 23 with the festive award ceremony of the 40th Internationales Frauen Film Fest. The first post-pandemic edition with 130 films from 34 countries was celebrated by visitors and filmmakers: Record numbers of accredited visitors, numerous sold-out screenings and intense debates in Dortmund and Cologne.

This year’s prize of 15,000 euros in the International Feature Film Competition of the IFFF Dortmund+Köln goes to the Spanish competition entry MOTHERHOOD (LA MATERNAL) by director Pilar Palomero. It tells the story of 14-year-old Carla: she skips school, hangs out with her boyfriend and fights with her mother. When her pregnancy is discovered, she finds help and new allies at »La Maternal«, a center for teenage mothers. How do you become a mother when you are still a child yourself? Palomero works with lay people who tell their own stories.

This year’s jury in the International Feature Film Competition included German filmmakers and film activists Helke Sander, Sara Fazilat and Maria Furtwängler, and awarded the prize at the Schauburg in Dortmund. The director could not attend the award ceremony, but she send us a videostatement which you may watch here.

The non-endowed ECFA Short Film Award in the programm Films for Kids and Young Adults goes to the Spanish feature film TULA by Bea de Silva: Tula works as a cleaning lady at a private school for girls. During her working day, she meets the fourteen-year-old daughter of the principal in the toilet.
The ECFA-jury was made up of curator Gudrun Sommer, translator Lara Melegari and Marjo Kovanen, head of the Finnish school cinema association Koulukino.

This year, for the first time, the Shoot – KHM & IFFF Dortmund+Köln Award for Female Artists of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne was given to a female installation artist: Hanna Noh. The prize, which was established four years ago, honors the artistic development of a female graduate of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne and is awarded in cooperation with the Equality / Discrimination of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM). This year’s Shoot-jury consisted of image designer Conny Beißler, curator Jessica Manstetten and festival director Maxa Zoller.

The public also voted: The Audience Award, endowed with 1,000 euros and donated by Sparkasse Dortmund, goes to Helke Sander: Cleaning House von Claudia Richarz.

For more information, a review of the 40th IFFF Dortmund+Köln 2023 and the juries’ reasons, please see the current press release.