Venice prize-winner Schultze Gets The Blues by Michael Schorr, Ruth Mader's Un Certain Regard entry Struggle and Damir Lukacevic's Heimkehr are among 15 films by the new generation of German-speaking filmmakers selected to compete for this year's Max Ophuels Prize in Saarbruecken (January 26 - February 1).

This year's lineup sees eight films coming from Germany, three from Switzerland, two from Austria, one German-Austrian co-production and one German-Luxembourg co-production; five of the films will be having their world premieres (WP) in Saarbruecken while another three are being shown in Germany for the first time (GP).

The films competing for the Max Ophuels Prize (Euros 18,000 for best director and Euros 18,000 for the distributor who releases the film in Germany) are:

Der Glaeserne Blick - Dir: Markus Heltschl, Germany/Austria
Heimkehr - Dir: Damir Lukacevic, Germany
Hurensohn - Dir: Michael Sturminger, Austria/ Luxemburg (WP)
Mondlandung - Dir: Till Endemann, Germany
Muxmäuschenstill - Dir: Marcus Mittermeier, Germany (WP)
Nachbarinnen - Dir: Franziska Meletzky, Germany (WP)
Northern Star - Dir: Felix Randau, Germany
November - Dir: Luki Frieden, Switzerland (GP)
PiperMint'Das Leben Moeglicherweise - Dir: Nicole-Nadine Deppe, Germany/Luxemburg
Schultze Gets The Blues - Dir: Michael Schorr, Germany
Straehl - Dir: Manuel Flurin Hendry, Switzerland (GP)
Struggle - Dir: Ruth Mader, Austria
Verflixt Verliebt - Dir: Peter Luisi, Switzerland (GP)
Yugotrip - Dir: Nadya Derado, Germany (WP)
Zwischen Nacht Und Tag - Dir: Nicolai Rohde, Germany (WP)

The eight films premiering in Saarbruecken will also be able to compete for the Best Director Film Prize of the Prime-Minister of Saarland (Euros 6,500 distribution grant and Euros 5,500 for the director).