German Generations Film Award

The Competition

The German Generations Film Award started in 1998 as a complementary competition to the already existing German Youth Film Award (Deutscher Jugendfilmpreis). The project benefits from the fact that young and older people alike are fascinated by making, presenting and discussing movies as working with media has proven to be a good platform for communication between the different generations. The nationwide initiative provides a forum for older non-professional film makers as well as for young talents who deal with the topics of generations and aging in their movies.

The competition was founded by the German Centre for Youth and Children's Films (Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum - KJF) and is financed by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend). Since the introduction of the award, more than 15,000 filmmakers of all ages have been taking part in it and every year even more films and videos are being submitted. The German Generations Film Award is one of the few sustainable media projects in Germany that successfully bridge the gap between the young and the old.

Competitors submit their productions in the thematically unrestricted contest and are separately judged in the categories 60plus (for film makers over the age of 60) and cross-generational (for age-mixed film teams or younger film makers highlighting issues of age and generations respectively).

Additionally all participants are invited to hand in films on a special annual theme.

Explanation the annual theme: I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU

Whether climate protests, digital politics or gender stars: For all generations, recent times offer plenty to talk about and also a point of contention or two. In social discourse, it's not always easy for us to rethink our own positions or find a consensus. Nevertheless, we all know from our own experience that if we no longer talk to each other and seek joint solutions, there is a risk of hardening the fronts and dividing society. But what if the positions of different generations on the crises and challenges of the present are not so far apart?

With its annual theme, the German Generations Film Award calls for film submissions that open up constructive debates, initiate a common search for solutions and make intergenerational closeness visible. We want to ask you: Where do the generations agree despite all points of friction? Do their motives and goals differ? What do you think is being argued about unnecessarily? On which points do you agree with the other generation, where would you like to see a change of perspective? How do you view the positions of your own generation? And do you feel you belong to this generation at all? Do we need more open exchange or perhaps even more conflict between old and young?

We are looking forward to your ideas, perspectives and stories on the new theme of the year. Your films can be personal or politically motivated. Whether as an abstract art film, a fictional (short) feature film, a drama, satire, comedy or a mix of different film genres. Whether as exploration, questioning, critical commentary or as a vision for a better world. Whether based on generational boundaries or cultural boundaries, with a question mark or three exclamation points. No matter how you want to express your thoughts on the annual theme - everything is allowed! And as always, you also have the opportunity to send us your films in the category "Free choice of topic". We are looking forward to your submissions for the German Generation Film Award 2024!

A final note: Parallel to the German Generation Film Award, we are announcing the German Youth Film Award and the German Youth Photography Award on the annual theme "#OK BOOMER,!? So this time, current generation discourses are the focus there. This provides an opportunity to enter into a dialogue across the competitions. With all three competitions, we want to send a joint signal and start a new, cross-disciplinary conversation between the generations.

Self-concept

Within the last ten years film technology and equipment has become cheaper, smaller and much easier to handle, thus changing the conditions of producing and publishing fundamentally. Virtual platforms like YouTube or Vimeo make it possible for everyone to broadcast their own productions worldwide. Needless to say that these circumstances are influencing the competition as well. More than ever we are convinced that it is necessary to boost public discourse on quality and review of film productions. The German Generations Film Award offers the film makers experiences that acknowledge their efforts and offer professional feedback at the same time so that all participants can develop their individual skills. The competition supports film talents and promotes the dialogue - among themselves and with their audiences - by annually presenting the best productions at the Bundes.Festival.Film.

Beyond this the competition also has a clear educational profile, intending to encourage people to use media in a creative, independent and self-reflective way – especially the allegedly not that media-savvy generation of people over 60. Moreover, the German Generations Film Award provides an impetus for young creatives to reflect generational topics in their films.

Whereas film productions that have been developed in educational contexts often fail when you compare them to productions that are realized under more professional conditions, we are distinctly open for those less professional productions as well. In the end it is all about the idea and the will to create something really personal and authentic.

Our Objectives

• Encouraging intergenerational dialogue by creating and presenting movies, identifying prejudices, discovering differences, identifying common ground
• Promoting media skills and media culture of the generation 60plus, presenting subjective points of view, expressing hopes, wishes and fears, drawing the public attention to allegedley taboo issues
• Public presentation of multifaceted images of aging