The FIRST STEPS Awards 2026 nominated three projects by DFFB students and graduates. The award is considered the most important prize for emerging talent and graduation films in the German-speaking world.
In the feature film category, THE PLANT FROM THE CANARIES (screenplay/direction/editing/production: Ruan Lan-Xi, cinematography: Jonathan Steil) is nominated. The graduation film had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. It follows May, a Korean woman in her early thirties who drifts through sleepless days in Berlin after an unexpected breakup, while memories of her youth in Seoul return.
The rbb co-production KOSMOPOLITEN (screenplay/direction: Lilian Mazbouh & Jonathan Deges, cinematography: Jonathan Deges, production: Klara Liebig, editing: Sabrina Rucker) is nominated for the Big Audience Award. The comedy follows Thore, who returns to his girlfriend Alva in Berlin after a holiday and brings along unwanted guests: bedbugs. What begins as a reunion turns into a story about closeness, disgust and life in a shared flat.
The DFFB is also represented in the screenplay category: Livia Valensise is nominated for the script of INSULA. The project tells the story of neuroscientist Mara, who returns for a conference to a city she associates with her childhood. An encounter with an old friend confronts her with repressed memories and raises questions about pain, protection and human closeness.
The FIRST STEPS Awards are presented in nine categories in total, with prize money amounting to €132,000. The award ceremony will take place on 5 October 2026 at the Theater des Westens in Berlin.
We congratulate all teams involved on their nominations and wish them every success at the FIRST STEPS Awards 2026.