German Premieres

WESER KURIER Audience Award

In 2026, Filmfest Bremen presents ten outstanding feature and documentary films from around the world, screening for the first time in German cinemas. All of them are competing for the Award for Best German Premiere and reflect a wide range of themes, from family drama to environmental crime.

In Bayaan, an investigator must confront the dark secrets of an Indian sect. Sanding Dreams portrays the conflict of a Russian student who, in order to support his family, risks giving up his dream of becoming an aerospace engineer. The documentary I Am Gitxsan follows a young high school graduate as he explores and reconnects with his Indigenous roots.

In several films, the environment plays a decisive role. As We Breathe depicts the impact of an environmental disaster on the life of a ten-year-old girl in Anatolia. In Anorgasmia, an Icelandic volcanic eruption brings two people together, and the documentary Rhino shows that environmental protection can become a matter of life and death.

This year once again, the WESER KURIER is sponsoring the prize money for first and second place. Deciding which of the ten films — produced by eleven countries and set across five continents — will win the competition will once again be one of the best juries in the world: the audience.

Audience voting:

Immediately after a film screening, the audience has the opportunity to rate the film using a 5-point system:

1 = bad

2 = moderate

3 = liked

4 = good

5 = outstanding

The evaluation will take place on Sunday, followed by the announcement of the two winning films at the award ceremony at Kleines Haus of Theater Bremen.

Prize Money: