Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon and Hans-Christian Schmid’s Storm have each scored four nominations for the German Film Critics’ Association’s (VDFK) awards.

Haneke’s Palme d’Or and European Film Award winner picked up nominations for best feature film, best actor, best cinematography and best screenplay; while Schmid’s political thriller also attracted nods for best, actor and cinematography as well as best editing.

Vickie The Viking, the most successful German film of 2009, Sonke Wortmann’s literary adaptation Pope Joan, Fatih Akin’s Venice prize-winner Soul Kitchen, and Sandra Nettelbeck’s English-language debut Helen also featured in the nominations.

The VDFK’s membership of over 300 film critics voted this week on the nominations, and the winning films will be announced at a ceremony during the Berlinale next month.

The nominations include:

Feature film
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band), Michael Haneke
Little White Lies (Die Perlmutterfarbe) Marcus H. Rosenmüller
Helen, Sandra Nettelbeck
John Rabe
, Florian Gallenberger
My Word, My Lies, My Love - Lila, Lila, Alain Gsponer
Storm (Sturm), Hans-Christian Schmid
Whisky With Vodka
(Whisky Mit Wodka),  Andreas Dresen

Feature Film Debut
The Red Spot (Der Rote Punkt), Marie Miyayama
Evet, Ich Will!,  Sinan Akkus
Hangtime (Kein Leichtes Spiel), Wolfgang Groos
Salami Aleikum, Ali Samadi Ahadi
Teenage Angst,  Thomas Stuber
Weltstadt, Christian Klandt

Actress
Iris Berben, The Day Will Come (Es KIommt Der Tag)
Corinna Harfouch, This Is Love
Birgit Minichmayr, Everyone Else (Alle Anderen)
Mina Tander, Maria, He Doesn’t Like It! (Maria, Ihm Schmeckt’s Nicht!)
Nadja Uhl, So Glücklich War Ich Noch Nie

Actor
Lars Eidinger, Everyone Else
Walter Giller, Dinosaurier
Burghardt Klaussner, The White Ribbon
Devid Striesow, So Glücklich War Ich Noch Nie
Ulrich Tukur, John Rabe

Documentary
Achterbahn, Peter Dörfler
Harlan – Im Schatten Von Jud Suss, Felix Moeller
Henners Traum, Klaus Stern
Material, Thomas Heise
Zum Vergleich. Harun Farocki