The competition
Focus
The Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production recognises projects that were guided systematically and structurally by the sustainability standards for film productions and in addition have implemented further measures and innovations to reduce their environmental impact.
This competition focuses on the realisation of exemplary innovations that are transferable to other productions and groundbreaking for the film industry.
This can involve both innovative ways of applying new technical solutions, for example in the area of studio or recording technology, as well as the implementation of innovative approaches and concepts in the area of organizational and logistical challenges of environmentally sound film productions.
This competition focuses on the realisation of exemplary innovations that are transferable to other productions and groundbreaking for the film industry.
This can involve both innovative ways of applying new technical solutions, for example in the area of studio or recording technology, as well as the implementation of innovative approaches and concepts in the area of organizational and logistical challenges of environmentally sound film productions.
Eligibility
Producers representing film productions of any genre completed in the period between September 2023 and November 2024 are eligible for participation during the 2024/25 competition period. Whether the production is made for cinema, television or other distribution methods did not affect its eligibility.
Advertising and promotional films are excluded from the competition, as are moderated light entertainment programmes such as talk, game, or quiz shows.
For the 2024/25 competition period, a separate competition category will be again established for up-and-coming productions that were created in the course of (final) projects as part of educational programs at (state or private) film schools or other institutions in Germany.
Advertising and promotional films are excluded from the competition, as are moderated light entertainment programmes such as talk, game, or quiz shows.
For the 2024/25 competition period, a separate competition category will be again established for up-and-coming productions that were created in the course of (final) projects as part of educational programs at (state or private) film schools or other institutions in Germany.
Application deadline
The application phase for the 2024/2025 competition period runs until 15 November 2024.
Criteria for entry
Productions entering the competition must fulfil all four of the following criteria.
Criterion 1
The producers make a clear commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their film productions beyond the production submitted for consideration.
Criterion 2
The current ecological standards for film productions were implemented in the productions planning and management.
Criterion 3
Environmentally friendly practices are established in relevant areas of production and environmentally friendly technologies are used that clearly go beyond the ecological standards of the industry.
Criterion 4
The successful implementation of innovations led to the avoidance or reduction of environmental impact in one or more areas of the production. The innovative measures implemented can be transferred for use in other productions.
Further details regarding the requirements for how these criteria are met and the evidence to be provided can be found in the application materials below.
Criterion 1
The producers make a clear commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their film productions beyond the production submitted for consideration.
Criterion 2
The current ecological standards for film productions were implemented in the productions planning and management.
Criterion 3
Environmentally friendly practices are established in relevant areas of production and environmentally friendly technologies are used that clearly go beyond the ecological standards of the industry.
Criterion 4
The successful implementation of innovations led to the avoidance or reduction of environmental impact in one or more areas of the production. The innovative measures implemented can be transferred for use in other productions.
Further details regarding the requirements for how these criteria are met and the evidence to be provided can be found in the application materials below.
Application materials
The final submission of the application for the competition is exclusively digital. Corresponding online forms and an upload option for additional documents will be made available here during the application phase.
PDF versions of the submission form can be found here.
PDF versions of the submission form can be found here.
Assessment
Assessment of the submissions will be carried out in a two-stage process:
1. Preliminary expert examination of the submitted documents followed by the nomination of eligible submissions
2. Selection of the winner by the competition jury
The following elements will be assessed during the preliminary examination of the submissions:
The clarity of the submitter's commitment to the overarching and permanent reduction of environmental impact from all their productions
The documented fulfilment of ecological standards for film production
The traceability of the targeted implementation of further (target) measures that are relevant for the respective production.
In particular, the degree of novelty, the effectiveness and also the transferability of the innovations introduced or the innovative approaches realised to avoid and reduce the environmental impact in the respective film production
Prize money
The Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production includes 20,000 euros in prize money in its main category and 5,000 euros in the up-and-coming category provided by the Heinz Sielmann Stiftung.
The prize money will be awarded to the winning productions selected by the jury.
The prize money will be awarded to the winning productions selected by the jury.
Trophy
The trophy for the Eisvogel Prize was designed by Berlin artist Martin Binder.
Artist Statement - Martin Binder
A great interest in the design of and in public space runs through Martin Binder's interdisciplinary study career in art-in-context and industrial design. Binder is experienced in art in construction as well as art in public spaces and consistently implements his own designs. As a jury member, he is often part of art in construction competitions and also acts as a preliminary examiner and coordinator of competition procedures of the Berlin Senate and district administrations.
Martin Binder lives and works in Berlin, where he is a recipient of the Berlin Studio Stipend. Martin Binder creates site- and context-specific sculptural installations that reference environmental issues and raise awareness of the planet's limits. Furthermore, an essential component of his work is the playful interaction with public space and between people.
Martin Binders artistically addresses anthropocentric claims to dominance over the earth and deals with their consequences for humans and the environment. The often sculptural engagement with innovative technology and natural materials offers points of connection to the topics of forestry, monocultures, climate change, nature conservation, domestication, ecosystems, and appreciation of nature. Binder works with a wide variety of media and is fascinated by technical progress, which is an essential part of his work through 3D printing, 3D scanners, drone photography and CNC cutters, among other things. He combines technical precision with chance and human unpredictability.
Martin Binder lives and works in Berlin, where he is a recipient of the Berlin Studio Stipend. Martin Binder creates site- and context-specific sculptural installations that reference environmental issues and raise awareness of the planet's limits. Furthermore, an essential component of his work is the playful interaction with public space and between people.
Martin Binders artistically addresses anthropocentric claims to dominance over the earth and deals with their consequences for humans and the environment. The often sculptural engagement with innovative technology and natural materials offers points of connection to the topics of forestry, monocultures, climate change, nature conservation, domestication, ecosystems, and appreciation of nature. Binder works with a wide variety of media and is fascinated by technical progress, which is an essential part of his work through 3D printing, 3D scanners, drone photography and CNC cutters, among other things. He combines technical precision with chance and human unpredictability.
© BMUV / Christoph Wehrer
Contact
Eisvogel c/o
Ökopol – Institut für Ökologie und Politik GmbH
Nernstweg 32-34, 22765 Hamburg
Ökopol – Institut für Ökologie und Politik GmbH
Nernstweg 32-34, 22765 Hamburg
Awarded by
