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Brilliant awards ceremony: Sehsüchte 2025 in Potsdam delights film fans!
The awards ceremony for the 54th International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte took place in Potsdam on April 26, 2025.
Brilliant awards ceremony: Sehsüchte 2025 in Potsdam delights film fans!
On April 26, 2025, the award ceremony for outstanding student films was held as part of the 54th International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte in Potsdam. Sehsüchte, which took place from April 23rd to 27th, is considered one of the most important film festivals for young filmmakers in Europe and offers an important platform for emerging talent. The festival is organized entirely by students from the Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF Film University, who have successfully established it as an international young talent film show since the 1970s. This year's motto "beyond" reflects the interrelationship between the past and future of filmmaking, which is also reflected in the selection of works shown.
In total, prizes with a total prize money of €36,000 were awarded in 12 different categories. The filmmakers had the opportunity to compete in sections such as feature film, documentary and genre film, as well as newer genres such as virtual reality and engaging films. The jury, consisting of experts from the film and media industry, evaluated the submitted works and awarded the best among them.
The winners of the main program
| category | winner | Special mention |
| Best Feature Film | NIGHT OF PASSAGE (Austria, 2025, Reza Rasouli) | 1:10 (Switzerland, 2024, Sinan Taner) and OKSHUSHU (South Korea, 2024, Bomin KIM) |
| Best documentary | RIDE DU LION ET PATTES D’OIE – LIONS WRINKLE AND CROWS FEET (Belgium, 2024, Juliette Léonard) | SABAT (Germany/France/Mongolia, 2024, Anna Maria Beeck) and VADERS ZIJN OOK ZONEN – FATHERS ARE SONS TOO (Netherlands, 2024, Sammy Shefa Idris) |
| Best genre film | I HAVE TO RUN (Germany, Oleg Hristolübskiy) | – |
| Best Committed Film | OUR NAME IS FOREIGNERS (Switzerland, 2024, Selin Besili) | 3 MWh (Czech Republic, 2024, Marie-Magdalena Kochová) and Interracial Symphony (Germany/Senegal, 2024, Maïmouna Diop) |
| Best Animated Film | NRUT (Germany, 2025, Sophia Schönborn) | MOTHER OF DAWN (Brazil/Portugal/Belgium/Finland, 2024, Clara Trevisan), PUBERT JIMBOB (Belgium, 2024, Miro Bollen), STONE OF DESTINY (Czech Republic, 2025, Julie Černá) |
| Best children's film | ONLY THE TWO OF US (Germany, 2024, Olga Müller) | FREAK OF NATURE (Germany, 2024, Alexandra Lermer) |
| Best youth film | TURMSPRINGER (Germany, 2024, Oscar Bittner) | THERE ONCE WAS – THERE IS NO MORE – THERE IS (Poland, 2024, Lukasz Kaminski) |
| Best Virtual Reality Project | CABARET (Norway, 2023, Gina Thorstensen) | MAGIC YOU (China, 2024, Guo Tongze) |
| Best screen play | NONA (Germany, 2024, Anne Thoemmes) | – |
| Best pitch | Bad Soles Can Be Heard Far Away (Germany, Kirsten Höller) | – |
The festival's technical infrastructure and the creative presentation of the films have made Sehsüchte a contact point for national and international talent. The selection process includes the review of the submissions by a program commission, which announced on March 18, 2025 which films would be shown in the festival. In addition, the annual submission deadline at the beginning of January ensures that fresh and innovative works are always presented.
A new highlight in film funding
The event is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany and promotes networking among filmmakers through workshops and feedback opportunities. There are also numerous networking opportunities available to participants to promote exchange and collaboration. The history of the festival includes that it was founded in the 1970s as a youth show in the GDR and has continued to develop since then.
The importance of the festival is also reinforced by the fact that other events take place at the same time, such as REC Film Festival in Berlin, clearly, that puts young filmmakers in the spotlight and promotes their work. Together, these festivals make an important contribution to the support and visibility of the next generation of filmmakers.
Congratulations to all award winners who took part in this remarkable event!