US production house Good Machine has won German collection society GWFF's High Hopes Award for Michel Gondry's feature debut Human Nature (pictured) at this year's Munich Filmfest.

The prize, worth Euros 25,000, was open to all directorial debuts in the Filmfest's international programme as well as from the American independents section.

Meanwhile, Michael Hofmann's critically panned Sophiiie picked up the Euros 40,000 Director's Prize at this year's expanded HypoVereinsbank Young Director Prize - now renamed Young German Cinema Award - with lead actress Katharina Schuettler receiving the Euros 20,000 New Talent Acting Prize. The Euros 20,000 New Talent Screenplay Prize went to Chris Kraus for his script of Scherbentanz which had been widely touted as the favourite for the Director's Prize.

In addition, Yugoslavian director Goran Paskaljevic was awarded the newly created Euros 25,000 Bernhard Wicki Film Prize - The Bridge "to honour artistic work which builds bridges where others tear up ditches".