Emder Screenplay Prize 2025: A springboard for talented film authors!

Emder Screenplay Prize 2025: A springboard for talented film authors!

The coveted Emden Screenplay Prize, which has been awarded to outstanding unfilmed scripts since 2005, was awarded at the Emden Festival Hall on June 14, 2025. The award is considered a stepping stone for emerging talent in the film industry. This year, Rabeah Rahimi and Leonore Lukschy were pleased to receive the award for their screenplay “Dieterstan”, which is worth 10,000 euros. The jury highlighted the script's unconventional and complex characters, which address themes such as sexism and prejudice. A real eye-catcher that is very well received! NDR reports.

A total of 106 unfilmed scripts were submitted this year, which shows how great the interest in this competition is. The other nominees included Sebastian Ladwig and Oliver Grüttner with “Heiden” and Martha Münder with “My Friend Lotte,” who each received 1,000 euros. Rolf Eckard, who is responsible for the prize, praised the great effort of the jury's work. The criteria that make up a good script are based on the topic, the implementation and the quality of the dialogue. The jury members, all Grimme Prize winners, work closely with the renowned Grimme Institute.

A festival of possibilities

The 35th Emden-Norderney International Film Festival, which will take place from June 11th to 18th, 2025, is also celebrating its 25th anniversary on the island of Norderney this year. The festival's partner country is Canada, which further promotes international exchange within the film arts. An absolute highlight of the film festival are the gala events, where actors read parts of the nominated scripts and thus immerse the audience in the various stories. The Emden Screenplay Prize is endowed with a total of 12,000 euros, which also makes the nominations appealing.

The jury for the prize consists of top-class members: Lucia Eskes, the director of the Grimme Prize, Kathrin Hollmer, a freelance journalist and Hilke Rönnfeldt, an experienced filmmaker. Marie Bloching, a well-known actress who received the Grimme Prize this year for “Appropriately Angry,” is also one of them. The Emder Screenplay Prize, which is sponsored by the seaport forwarding company Jakob Weets, shows that real talent can assert itself in the industry. Emden Film Festival informed.

Talents that shape the future of film

A look into the past shows how valuable the Emden Screenplay Prize was for many screenwriters. For example, the film “System Sprenger” by Nora Fingscheidt, which won this award in 2016, was later nominated for an Oscar and won numerous awards. Fingscheidt emphasized how crucial the win was for the filming of her script. These successes show that around 10 to 15 percent of the submitted scripts actually go into production, which further underlines the relevance of the prize.

At the same time, the reception of the German Screenplay Association took place, where Sandra Schröder was honored as the winner of the German Screenplay Prize. As part of this event, the Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth emphasized the important role of script writing in the film's artistic vision. The German Screenplay Prize is the most important award for screenwriters in Germany and has been awarded since 1988. The script association reports.

Overall, the Emder Screenplay Prize not only shows the diversity and creativity of German filmmaking, but also the valuable support that is offered to aspiring authors. A reason to rejoice for all film fans - and a little taste of the great stories that await us in the near future!