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JURY: Dagmar Schürrer, Arne Vogelgesang & Nataša Vukajlović

INTERNATIONAL EXPANDED MEDIA COMPETITION
The Expanded Media Award (1500 €) goes to Tsz Hei Fung for the video installation LANDSCAPES IN ZURICH
• Jury Statement: In “Landscapes in Zurich”, Tsz Hei Fung invites us into everyday scenes of the Zurich cityscape. In six static panorama shots, Tsz Hei appears and then disappears again as just one body among many: at the tram station, by the municipal office, in the park, on the Ferris wheel. In each new image, we as viewers look for him, blending in just enough to no longer be recognized in the crowd as an “other” to the majority society. Meanwhile, we hear what Tsz Hei heard when he entered the picture and left it again - image and sound do not share the same perspective. A booklet identifies the individual images as places of the artist’s biography as well as exemplary parts of a cityscape of many. The work is further complemented by a scenic installation of self-exploration, all of which makes “Landscapes in Zurich” expanded media in the best sense.

  “Landscapes of Zurich”'s play with appearing and disappearing in the urban environment touches upon questions of identity and belonging, it asks what it means to integrate into a community - what such integration depends on, who decides about it, what there is to desire, to gain or to lose in the process. Often, political discourse surrounding integration is dominated by societal ascriptions, prescriptions and assertion of identities, by questions of visibility and numbers.

  We chose “Landscapes of Zurich” because Tsz Hei Fung manages to ask about all this in a different way: in a poetic, gentle and accessible form that opens up very personal impulses for a wide range of experiences with feeling a stranger and inhabiting a space between desires for visibility or invisibility.

  Congratulations.

SPECIAL MENTION
A Special Mention goes to Giulia Brusco for the video installation GROSSE
• Jury Statement: Collaged video projections, a 360° documentation, a 3D point cloud, interviews in a black dressing room mirror that repeatedly show us our own image: Giulia Brusco uses a wide range of visual techniques to stage her subject. This range and the apparent effortlessness of such diverse visual means of representation is in tension with the subject of her work “Grosse”: the laborious, decades-long work by Italian female bodybuilders of sculpting their own bodies as a medium. “Grosse” negotiates the self-perception and external representation of female bodies in a world that is still dominated by binary stereotypes. Brusco's protagonists ask questions about who has the power and the right to judge which characteristics are considered “feminine”, and what strength means. Without glossing over contradictions and risks, Giulia Brusco opens up a space to discuss gender body norms and to break away from them with pride.
SPECIAL MENTION
A second Special Mention goes to Pedro Gossler for the 3-channel-video-installation FANFICTIONAL POLITICS
• Jury Statement: “Rage is a form of storytelling,” claims one of Pedro Gossler’s unreliable narrators at the beginning of their political journey of making sense of the world. This journey leads us from the staged fights of American wrestling and flower arrangements on the long tables of global politics to real war zones of virtually lucrative Worlds of Warcraft. It flies with drones as the angels of a new era. It explores the possibilities and impossibilities of understanding present simultaneities in club toilets, fictional news shows and in the serial format of video essays, of which “Fanfictional Politics” itself is one. Even the most convincing political analysis of our global confusion, Gossler's 3-channel video installation suggests, is perhaps no more than a somewhat artistic investment advice for anger capital by fans for fans, and then it shrugs its shoulders: “Inventing a new world and forcing it into being is what we do best. [...] Time to log off.”

JURY: Duc-Thi Bui, Nina Friemann & Hanna Szczepkowska

NORMAN 2025
The Norman 2024 (4.000 Euros donated by Land capital Stuttgart) goes to DÉJÀ NU by Rolf Hellat
• Jury Statement: “Déjà Nu” by Rolf Hellat, Laetitia Ky, Sylvia Ouattara, and numerous other personalities invites us to immerse ourselves in layers
  of meaning, creating a unique audiovisual-poetic experience that transcends traditional storytelling. The protagonists confidently and autonomously claim their space while opening themselves to the audience’s gaze, which refrains from judgment. Instead, the gaze is expanded as profound emotions and the finiteness of our existence are made tangible in a sensual form. The film is an experimental interplay of the collective, culminating in a fleeting moment as a vibrant kaleidoscope that will accompany us on our journey through life.
  Thus, the experience with the film does not end. We become part of something greater that connects us all. Our bodies breathe a shared air of poetry, music, and imagery. And in feeling this air, we sense the existential questions of life, transience, and nature.
SPECIAL MENTION
A Special Mention goes to DE IMPERIO by Alessandro Novelli
• Jury Statement: “De Imperio” by Alessandro Novelli feels hauntingly relevant while transcending earthly dimensions. We find ourselves in an animated cosmos where time and space seemingly follow different rules, yet the beings within act according to principles that are strikingly familiar. There are giants, and there are non-giants. The giants hold power, and the non-giants do not. But we also realize that the giants can only exist because of the non-giants. Alessandro Novelli reveals that as non-giants, we have merely forgotten how powerful we are when we come together—stacking, interlocking, connecting, and complementing each other, as the filmmaker suggests. Especially in light of the current global political climate, the film, with its high-contrast black-and-white visuals and thoughtful symbolism, emerges as a powerful and artistically sophisticated examination of contemporary power dynamics. It contrasts the authority of individual rulers with the strength of a united community, delivering an impressive explo-
  ration of sociopolitical themes.
TEAM-WORK-AWARD
The Team-Work-Award (2.000 Euros donated by Ritter Sport) goes to FROM A DISTANCE by Hoàng Quỳnh Nguyễn & Benjamin Hujawa
• Jury Statement: “From Afar” explores the relationship between a daughter and her father—and vice versa. Between them lies a chasm of differing experiences and individual desires. The documentary gives both protagonists the space to freely express themselves, apart from one another, while ultimately attempting to bring them into a shared space. This cinematic openness, combined with the filmmakers’ awareness of being part of the dynamic, is the film’s great strength and is also reflected in the project’s approach. Co-director Benjamin Hujawa intentionally brought on Hoàng
  Quỳnh Nguyễn as a co-director when the subject of Vietnamese Germans was presented to him. This collaboration allowed the film, with great
  sensitivity and a reflective perspective, to question the privilege of interpretive authority. The teamwork sought to make the film stronger, even though it might not have seemed “necessary.” Moreover, the director’s close relationship with the protagonists ensured a respectful, documentary lens. Family traumas, generational conflicts, and the search for identity are interwoven without offering simple answers.
SPECIAL MENTION
A Special Mention goes to HONEYMOON by Alkis Papastathopoulos
• Jury Statement: In “Honeymoon,” Alkis Papastathopoulos authentically portrays the importance of solidarity and connection in challenging times. The emotional story of two women who support each other and find strength in their friendship is deeply moving. The film captivates through its closeness to the characters and its credible depiction of a strong, equal bond that withstands adversity. What stands out most is how the protagonists define for themselves what a “honeymoon” means to them—a promise to unconditionally support one another. The narrative depth and emotional power of the film make it a touching work about a unique kind of “teamwork,” which we sometimes call “friendship,” or, in very special cases,
  “love.”
WAND 5 HONOR AWARD
JURY: The Selection Committee Film of Wand 5
The Wand 5 Honor Award goes to LA TRAMPA by Ferney Iyokina Gittoma

JURY: Esther Fehn, Sylke Gottlebe & Louis Wick

2 MINUTES SHORT FILM AWARD
The 2 Minutes Short Film Award (1.500 Euros) goes to THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF COMRADE STALIN by Peter Vadocz
• Jury Statement: Disguised as a what-if-scenario, Peter Vadocz bridges more than 150 years in Josef Stalin’s birthplace Gori, Georgia and takes a stand for democracy and human dignity. He unmasks an integral part of the tragedy of the 20th century, that still continues until the present with Russia’s permanent attempts to disrupt the peace and independence of other countries.
  Winding roads in the mountains make for a fantastic metaphor for what-could-have-been and the landscape around the city eventually turns into something far greater and all-encompassing (NO SPOILERS).
  An incredible multitude of narrative layers- in just over 90 seconds. Congratulations!
SPECIAL MENTION
A Special Mention goes to A D H S SHORT by Franziskus Bries
• Jury Statement: It’s already hard to focus these days - even harder for people suffering from ADHD.
  Franziskus Bries proves this impressively by presenting us plain text about the condition while constantly throwing videos, gameplays and motion graphics at us.
  Form follows function in this truly creative and relevant statement.

JURY: Franz-Erdmann Meyer-Herder, Nicole Rebmann & Sebastian Selig

BUGGLES AWARD 2025
The music video Blessing (by Johannes Frick) by Alejandro Spano and Johannes Frick /Jon Darc received the 1,000 € prize at the Kinemathek Obertürkheim on 16 January 2025.
• Jury statement: In "Blessing", Jon Darc and Alejandro Spano take us to the very core. An AI-generated bionic double of Johannes Frick is tied up at the mercy of marble angels who treat him with the indifference of a sphinx. But suddenly a mouth opens, inviting us to witness an artist telling us something true about himself. The poetry of "Blessing" is truly ingenious naughty stuff, kinky and impudent in the best sense. But in the music video, Jon Darc - just like in his lyrics - invites us to keep the nimbus of sublimeness for the fulfillment of concrete desires and fantasies marked with shame. Amid the disturbing environment of the computer-generated animation brimming with consciously employed digital glitches and oddities and the hyper-realistic mermaid fantasies of Johannes Frick's drag character, the body in its duplication is deprived of the determinations of a conventional viewing management and conservative sex morals. Alejandro Spano and Jon Darc go beyond the depiction of a song's lyrics. They deliver a statement for a queer self-image which can't be banished to exist in invisibility or indistinguishability. "Blessing" confronts us with the truth - and invites us to dream.
SPECIAL MENTION
The special mention goes to HEADBANGING (by Levin Goes Lightly) by Florian Siegert
• Jury statement: In „Headbanging“, Florian Siegert takes the video’s title at face value and impresses with the consistent realisation of a clear idea. The music video combines motion, sound and image resulting in a perfectly concerted performance. A pivoting camera, scenes that are played forward and backward and precise editing make the viewer as dizzy as the shaken hair itself. The video skillfully plays with replays and rhythm, draws us in and makes us feel the energy of dance. The urban scenery becomes the stage, Stuttgart is presented in a new light. The ecastasy of the moment is collectivized and we are invited to give in to this movement. Or, like the song itself puts it so aptly: "I Shake My Head Again, I Shake My Head as Fast as I Can.“
ONLINE AUDIENCE AWARD
The Online Audience Award (500 €) goes to The Grand NEEVE Hotel" (von NEEVE) by Felix Seyboth, Marius Spohrer and Ekaterina Gradoboeva.