Titles by Alexe Poukine, David Bim, and Soujiro Sanada were among the winners of the competition sections at this year’s Munich International Film Festival (MIFF) which wrapped on Sunday (July 6).
The €15,000 award for best international film in the CineMasters competition went to the French-born director Alexe Poukine for her narrative feature directorial debut Kika, about a social worker who becomes a sex worker after learning some tragic news. It premiered in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, with Totem Films handling sales.
The CineVision competition jury awarded the best international film by an emerging director prize worth €10,000 to Cuban filmmaker David Bim’s observational documentary To The West, In Zapata, which follows a couple trying to support their child in the swamplands of Zapata, a biosphere reserve in Cuba. Austria-based Square Eyes is handling sales on the film which had its world premiere at Visions du Réel this April.
Accepting the award on stage, Bim said: “I do believe that cinema can change us and make us thirsty but not for water like when I first met Mercedes [one of his film’s protagonists] eight years ago, but rather for something even clearer and more essential. Cinema gives us a thirst for freedom.”
Sponsored by the festival’s main partner Audi, the €15,000 award in the CineRebels competition for international auteurs daring to break the mould went to Japanese director Soujiro Sanada for his surreal second film Okamoto, about a man who has been asked to hold onto mysterious cardboard boxes. It premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last year.
The €3,000 CineKindl Award for the director of the best film in the festival’s CineKindl section went to Omaha’s Cole Webley. Omaha is Webley’s debut feature, and stars John Magaro as a father taking his two children on a road trip across the rugged southwest of the United States after a family tragedy. It premiered at Sundance in the US Dramatic Category section, with Cercamon handling sales.
A special mention in the category went to André Kadi and Karine Vézina’s Hola, Frida!, while the €2,500 Young Jury Award was presented to Jing Yi’s The Botanist.
The Fipresci prize for a film screening in the New German Cinema section went to Jacqueline Jansen’s debut feature Sechswochenamt, while the festival’s audience voted for Julius Grimm’s absurd afterlife comedy Zweigstelle in the national category and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value in the international category. The CineKindl audience award was won by Nina Wels’ animated feature Tafiti - Across The Desert.
Reflecting on his second edition in charge, festival director Christoph Gröner said a highlight from this year was Gillian Anderson collecting the CineMerit award in person ahead of a screening of The Salt Path.
“I didn’t know that you could cry with your jaw rather than your eyes. It was a very emotional moment and she was so gracious and went to [speak to] the fans for another 30 minutes.” Stellan Skarsgard was also honoured at this year’s festival.
Audience figures
According to provisional figures collated by MIFF, there were 91,000 visitors to around 600 screenings and events during the festival week – up from 71,000 to around 500 events in 2024. However, for the first time the 2025 figure also includes around 16,000 attendees to industry networking events also held during the festival.
Attendees at industry events included Ethan Hawke (who is shooting The Weight in Bavaria).
Artistic director Julia Weigl added: “We’re incredibly happy because the cinemas were full, the audiences were enthusiastic, there were many standing ovations.”
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