Actor: Sebastian Koch receives film award for life’s work

actor
Sebastian Koch receives film award for life’s work

The Braunschweig International Film Festival honored the actor Sebastian Koch (59) for his life’s work. He received the highest endowed prize of 20,000 euros on Saturday evening before the film week entered its last day on Sunday.

According to the jury, the prerequisites for the “Die Europa” award are outstanding performance as well as contributions to European film culture. “This city makes this festival,” said Koch about Braunschweig’s cultural scene. “I was very touched by this time.”

After the corona-related digital version last year, the contributions were shown again at several venues this time. “The cinema is still one of the most important places to dream and think about,” Koch said with a view to the festival week. The trumpeter and composer Till Brönner gave the laudation for him.

Koch is also a well-known German film face abroad. For example, he played a leading role in Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Ocsar-winning Stasi drama “The Lives of Others” from 2006. He also received the Adolf Grimme Prize and two Bambis, among others.

According to the festival management, the total prize money this year reached a maximum of more than 60,000 euros. The jury awarded nine awards for the 35th edition of the film festival. These included, for example, the “Heinrich” audience award, endowed with 10,000 euros, which went to the Polish director Jan Holoubek for his work “25 Years of Innocence”. The actress Sara Fazilat was the best German-speaking young actress for her role in “Nico”. The “Tilda” women’s film award went to the production of “Hive” by filmmaker Blerta Basholli.

In previous years, award winners such as Mario Adorf, Sandrine Bonnaire and Mads Mikkelsen brought international flair to the second largest city in Lower Saxony. This time a total of 288 films were on the program.

dpa