Jana Forkel: Grimme Prize for courageous series about sexual violence!

Jana Forkel: Grimme Prize for courageous series about sexual violence!

On April 4, 2025, freelance screenwriter Jana Forkel, an alumna of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), will be awarded the prestigious Grimme Prize. Forkel received the award in two categories: “Fiction” and “Audience Prize”. This once again confirms her talent for turning complex topics into memorable stories. FAU reports that Forkel is part of the Hamburg script collective “Fassung Drei”.

Forkel receives the award for her work on the RTL series “Appropriately Angry,” which addresses the challenges and ways of dealing with sexual abuse. In the series, the protagonist Amelie, played by Marie Bloching, develops supernatural abilities after an attack in order to track down and fight sexual predators. This original idea resulted from the creative collaboration between Forkel and the director and co-author Elsa van Damke, who also studied at the Hamburg Media School at the time. Grimme Prize reports that the team won the “Storytellers” competition at RTL 2022 with a concise concept.

Creative work and studies

Forkel began her academic career at FAU from 2016 to 2020, where she studied theater and media studies as well as English. During this time, she gained practical experience in campus media and completed several internships. These experiences shaped her creativity and approach to writing stories. She then continued her education at the Hamburg Media School from 2020 to 2022, where she completed her master's degree and became an active member of “Verssung Drei”. FAU reports that During her time as a student, Forkel also won first place in the “My FAU” film competition for a stop-motion short film.

Forkel describes a typical workday as predominantly fantasy-based, with only about 10 percent of it filled with actual writing. The diverse design of her projects is reflected not only in the choice of topics, but also in the stylistic devices of the series, such as breaking the fourth wall and displaying social media posts that dynamically shape the narrative flow. Grimme Prize continues that the story sheds a critical light on gender roles and their negative effects.

The importance of price

The Marler Group Audience Award, which Forkel and her team accepted for the “Fiction” category, shows that the topic of sexual violence and its social effects continues to be of central relevance. The series follows the protagonist on her emotional and physical journey, addressing various reactions from those around her, from comfort to accusations, which underline the complexity of the topic.

The jury praised the refreshing combination of humor and drama that comes into play in the series' narrative. Forkel encourages aspiring filmmakers and students in the film and television industry to stick to their skills and always remain open to networking and constructive criticism. She is currently working on several projects, but cannot share any details about them yet. Grimme Prize highlights that ongoing support from former fellow students is seen as a valuable part of their professional journey.