JURY: MELIKA FOROUTAN, ANGELINA MACCARONE AND SOPHIE LINNENBRAUM AWARD DIRECTOR'S AWARD

For the fifth time, the Berlin world cinema festival AROUND THE WORLD IN 14 FILMS will present the "BASIS Berlin Postproduction Award," selected by a jury. This year's jurors are actress Melika Foroutan, film director and screenwriter Angelina Maccarone, and film director and screenwriter Sophie Linnenbaum. The award recognizes the best directorial achievement in a film from the "14 Films" section and will be presented at the festival's closing ceremony on Saturday, December 6, 2025. The €5,000 prize is sponsored by BASIS BERLIN Postproduction. "Worldwide cinema tells stories that transcend borders, break down clichés, and strengthen mutual understanding. That's why this festival is indispensable: it gives voice to diverse perspectives and fosters dialogue between cultures. We are delighted to be sponsoring the award again this year," said Frieda Oberlin, Managing Director of BASIS BERLIN Postproduction. The 20th edition of the festival will take place from November 28 to December 6, 2025, at the cinema in the Kulturbrauerei in Berlin, as well as at the delphi LUX and Neues Off cinemas. Premium partners for 2025 are the audio specialist beyerdynamic, the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, ARTE, and CineStar.

Melika Foroutan was born in Tehran in 1976 and studied philosophy, English, and history in Cologne before completing her acting training at the Berlin University of the Arts from 1999 to 2003. She then joined the Leipzig Theatre. Melika Foroutan became particularly well-known for her role as Detective Sylvia Henke in the award-winning crime series "KDD – Kriminaldauerdienst" (KDD – Criminal Investigation Unit). Another television role that garnered her considerable acclaim and the Hessian Film Prize was that of the alcoholic Detective Louise Boni in the eponymous ARD series. For her leading role in the feature film "Pari" by Iranian director Siamak Etemadi, which premiered at the Berlinale, she received the Greek Film Award for Best Actress in 2021. She is currently filming the third season of the International Emmy Award-winning Netflix series "The Empress" and recently joined the cast of the Frankfurt-based "Tatort" crime series alongside Edin Hasanovic.

Angelina Maccarone wrote song lyrics before co-directing the film adaptation of her first screenplay, "Kommt Mausi raus?!" (Is Mausi Coming Out?!), in 1994. Her films explore various genres and have won awards at international film festivals, including the Golden Leopard at Locarno. Her documentary "The Look"—about and starring actress Charlotte Rampling—premiered at Cannes in 2011. In 2014, she launched an online and cinema campaign against homophobia with Carolin Emcke. Her film "Klandestin" (Clandestine) won the Lola Award for Best Screenplay and the Ludwigshafen Film Art Prize in 2024. Also in 2024, she received the Lübeck Screenwriting Grant. From 2014 to 2025, she was a professor of directing at the Film University Babelsberg.

After completing her psychology studies and working as a playwright, director and writer Sophie Linnenbaum studied directing at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. In addition to her nationally and internationally award-winning short films, she directs series and documentaries. Her first feature film, "The Ordinaries," had its international premiere in the main competition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, received the Best Director Award at the Munich Film Festival, and won the First Steps Award for Best Feature Film.

BASIS BERLIN Postproduktion GmbH was founded in 2006 and is located in a historic industrial building on the border between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. A leading provider of audio post-production services, BASIS expanded its portfolio to include video post-production in the summer of 2021. Its team includes industry-renowned specialists in sound design, mixing, grading, conforming, and mastering of feature films, series, and commercials, as well as restoration and archiving. BASIS BERLIN offers complete technical and creative post-production services in a friendly atmosphere and at the highest international level.

Photos: Jury members Angelina Maccarone, Melika Foroutan and Sophie Linnenbaum (from left to right)

© Hanna Lenz 2025 (Angelina Maccarone), Meike Kenn (Melika Foroutan), Ferda Demir for Zurich Film Festival (Sophie Linnenbaum)