Award Winners 2026

We are very pleased to announce the winners of the 42nd Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg!

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the 42nd Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg and the 28th Young Short Film Festival Hamburg Mo&Friese celebrated outstanding short filmmaking at their annual award ceremony. In the presence of filmmakers, industry professionals, and festival guests, prizes totaling €18,500 were awarded, honoring the creativity, diversity, and artistic strength of the short film format.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Jury: Muayad Alayan, Nita Deda, Ivana Kvesi?, Mina El Naggar, Jason Ryle

HAMBURG SHORT FILM AWARD
God Is Shy – Jocelyn Charles, France 2025

DEFRAMED AWARD
This Desirable Device – Mina Simendi?, Serbia/Germany 2026

EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS SHORT FILM PRIX VIMEO CANDIDATE
Morning Circle – Basma al-Sharif, Germany/Canada/United Arab Emirates 2025

SPECIAL MENTION
Abortion Party – Julia Mellen, Spain 2025

GERMAN COMPETITION

Jury: Sofia Dona, Micha? Matuszewski, Bettina Steinbrügge

JURY AWARD
The Muscles Are Tense – Mahshid Mahboubifar, Germany/Iran 2026

SPECIAL MENTION
Bleifrei 95 – Emma Hütt, Tina Emy Muffler, Germany/Austria 2025

AUDIENCE AWARD

God is Shy – Jocelyn Charles, France 2025

ARTE SHORT FILM AWARD

Jury: Catherine Colas, Laurence Rilly

Heaven Will Wait – Silver Tjepkema, Netherlands/Belgium 2026

KODAK FILM AWARD

Jury: Jens Kiefer, Vanessa Nica Müller, Holger C. Schwaerzel

Hour of the Flower – Grace Song, Singapore 2025

SPECIAL MENTION
Rio Remains Beautiful – Felipe Casanova, Belgium/Brazil/Switzerland 2025

TRIPLE AXEL

AUDIENCE AWARD
Trio – Fridtjof Stensæth Josefsen, Morten Borgestad, Norway 2025

GERMAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Jury: Lucas Barwenczik, Leo Geisler, Gabriele Summen

GERMAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD AT KURZFILM FESTIVAL HAMBURG
L’mina – Randa Maroufi, France/ItaItalyien/Morocco/Qatar/United Arab Emirates 2025

SPECIAL MENTION
Heaven Will Wait – Silver Tjepkema, Netherlands/Belgium 2026

MO&FRIESE – YOUNG SHORT FILM FESTIVAL HAMBURG

FRIESE AWARD
Bats & Bugs – Lena von Döhren, Switzerland 2026

FRIESE AWARD – SPECIAL MENTION
Cel Maatjes – Arjen van der Plas, Hidde Alberts, Jurgen de Smit, Melle Windig, Miguel Reyes, Netherlands 2025

MO AWARD
Abracadabra – Amay Mehrishi, India/United Kingdom 2025

MO AWARD – SPECIAL MENTION
Tutti – Rong Zuo Zhuang, Taiwan 2026

NEON-AWARD
Pippa et Léo – Abeille Tard, Canada 2025

NEON-AWARD – SPECIAL MENTION
C´est ma sœur – Zoé Pelchat, Canada 2025

YOUNG SHORT FILM FESTIVAL HAMBURG MO&FRIESE ECFA AWARD
Fire in My Pocket – Janka Feiner, Hungary 2026