Award Ceremony
Award Ceremony 22/23
The award ceremony for the 2022/23 competition period took place on February 16, 2023, in the courtyard of the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin and in the presence of the Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, among personally invited guests.
During the event, the nominated productions were introduced to an audience of industry professionals and the "Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production" was handed over to the winning production.
A movie shows impressions of the ceremony: Link
Award-winning Productions 22/23
Three award-winning productions of the Eisvogel 2023
The competition jury decided to split the Eisvogel award 22/23 and award one production from the field of documentaries and one production from the field of fictional productions.
In doing so, the jury, chaired by producer Lars Jessen, considered the high quality of the many submissions on the one hand and the diversity of potential areas of improvement between documentaries and fictional productions on the other.
In addition, this year for the first time a prize was awarded for the newcomer productions.
Below you will find the reasons given by the competition jury for the three award winners.
22. Juli – Die Schüsse von München (Award-winning production in the category documentary)
In the case of this documentary series produced internationally by Constantin Entertainment for Sky Deutschland in 2021, the systematic implementation of a Master Location Concept and a Remote Direction approach made it possible to reduce environmental impacts substantially. Both the complete avoidance of transatlantic flights and the significant reduction of filming locations and days saved approximately 27 tons of CO2. The very structured and systematic implementation of numerous other environmental measures is also emphasized.
Sky Deutschland made a clear commitment to climate-friendly film production at a very early stage, making it one of the pioneers of sustainable production in Germany. The European Sky Group has set itself a net zero target for CO2 emissions across the entire value chain by 2030. These aspects were also important factors in the jury's decision.
(From the statement of the Eisvogel competition jury)

© BMUV / Christoph Wehrer
Irgendwas mit Medien (Award-winning production in the category of fiction)
In this eight-part mockumentary series for the ARD media library, UFA Serial Drama has realized a very consistent approach to green production. Already at the book level, scenes that were particularly resource-consuming were avoided, and transportation optimizations and walking distances played a role in the selection of filming locations.
Due to the use of cargo bikes, the motor-driven vehicle fleet could be minimized and CO2 emissions in this area could be reduced by about eighty percent.
In addition, during production, there was very active participation by the cast & crew to develop ideas for further environmental measures and to implement them consistently.
(From the statement of the Eisvogel competition jury)

© BMUV / Christoph Wehrer
Exit Pangea (Award-winning production in the newcomer category)
In her graduation film from the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, producer Sarah Dreyer already focused on a holistic concept for reducing environmental pollution during the development phase.
The potential but also limitations of LED lighting were part of the visual design concept from the very beginning, and the reduction of material requirements was understood as a creative challenge for the book but also for the cast & crew on location. Through the direct involvement of all parties, many creative solutions could be developed and successfully implemented.
This learning system and the holistic approach make Exit Pangea an award-worthy production that is exemplary for the newcomer sector.
(From the statement of the Eisvogel competition jury)

© BMUV / Christoph Wehrer
Nominated Productions 22/23
A pre-selection committee of experts from the Association of Technical Companies for Film & Television (vtff), the Federal Association of Green Film & TV Consultants Germany (GCD) and Green Film Shooting has thoroughly examined the 28 submissions received and shortlisted 9 productions in the main category and 5 productions in the newcomer category.
The nominated productions are briefly presented below.

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22. Juli - Die Schüsse von München
Green Production was part of the creative concept for this documentary series produced by Constantin Entertainment in 2021 for Sky Deutschland. The master location concept called for flexible sets at one location for multiple interviews.
"We paid particular attention to one point. International shoots were implemented by teams on location. Coordination with the director was done via video calls. As a result, there was not a single transatlantic flight by the crew."
Andreas Tuerpe, Production Manager, Constatin Entertainment
More about 22. Juli - Die Schüsse von München

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Cicero - Zwei Leben, eine Bühne
During the production of this documentary feature which was shot at fifty different locations in Germany and abroad, Latemar Film in particular focused on the mobility turnaround. The aim was to cut down carbon emissions while the production travelled across four countries and ten federal states.
"We wanted to be as effective as possible in order to meet the highest environmental and sustainability criteria. Thanks to a meticulous overall planning in advance, as well as logistical combinations starting from the first stage of development, more than eighty tons of carbon emissions were successfully avoided."
Katharina Rinderle, Producer
More about Cicero - Zwei Leben, eine Bühne

© ZDF and Staudinger + Franke / [M] Serviceplan
The Swarm
Produced as an international co-production with six countries, the German TV broadcaster ZDF brings Frank Schätzing's bestselling novel to the screen in an eight-part series which will celebrate its premiere at the Berlinale Series. During the shooting that took place between the spring of 2021 and the end of 2022 in Italy and in the water studio in Belgium, the use of Set VFX Extensions made it possible to avoid material-intensive construction.
"Before the principle photography began, we discussed and subsequently determined with NDF and Itaglio Films the best possible eco-friendly structure for the entire project. Instead of shooting in Norway, Peru, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, and Switzerland, everything was shot in Italy and Belgium, which resulted in huge savings in transportation as well as commercial flights. Therefore we saved an additional 700 tons, if not more, of carbon emissions. So we cut the production’s carbon footprint almost by half."
Philip Gassmann, Green Film Expert and Green Consultant
More about Der Schwarm

© MDR / UFA Serial Drama / Sascha Hoecker
Irgendwas mit Medien
When developing this eight-part mockumentary series, UFA Serial Drama took the approach to avoid resource-wasting scenes at the script level. As a result, the vehicle fleet was reduced to a minimum and carbon emissions were cut by around eighty percent. Efficient transportation options and walking distance were selection criteria for the filming locations.
"If you want to produce sustainably, that means finding clever solutions in many places and thinking outside the box. You need to be really convinced to do that. From bicycles to reusable tableware."
Helga Löbel, Producer,UFA Serial Drama
"I'm very pleased that we successfully implemented the minimum ecological standards at the production of Irgendwas mit Medien for the first time so that we received the 'green motion' label. This was only possible because sustainability was such an important topic for every crew member that they adjusted the workflows. I hope that it won’t be a big deal anymore for future projects to comply with the minimum ecological standards, but rather become the standard."
Marc Waterkamp, Production Manager and Green Consultant, UFA Serial Drama
More about Irgendwas mit Medien

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Le Pupille
During the production of the medium-length film drama, set in 1942, the Italian production company Tempesta avoided using diesel generators when they shoot in the historic city centre of Bologna. The production updated the electric cabling system at the main location so that most of the production services could be powered by the grid. For the second location, an abandoned church in the city centre, the crew rented a portable clean energy power station.
“The Voltstack reduced diesel consumption. It substituted the equivalent of a 7kW diesel generator on multiple shooting days, and it powered building tools as well as craft stations. It opened possibilities for new scheduling, efficiency in working hours, and a reduction of noise pollution in the city center. It reduced the prep/wrap time at the location by grips. The set design crew relied exclusively on Voltstack.”
Ludovica Chiarini, Eco Supervisor
More about Le Pupille

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Liebes Kind
When filming this streaming series, Constantin Television focused on saving resources on set design and short transport routes. The four main locations were close to the production office. The set construction consisted of wooden elements from a neighbouring film production, while another set was built by using the SpeedSet system, which is made of aluminium composite panels.
The company is using profiles and aluminum composite panels which are made of recycled aluminum. The individual elements of the plug-in system can be connected without using tools. As a result, the setup takes only a fraction of the time as a traditional wood construction."
Thomas Matysiak, Green Consultant
More about Liebes Kind

© ZDF and PATRICK ESSEX
Lu von Loser
During the production of the second season of this eight-part dramedy series, Letterbox Film Production and Darling Point used the “Green Toolbox” web tool for information and communication with the team. The catering survey led to the result that the film crew went exclusively for vegetarian-vegan food.
"Due to the 'Green Toolbox' carbon emissions could be tracked and team members were sensitized, because all heads of departments and production drivers had to collect the carbon emissions for their respective department. When refueling, production drivers were able to scan the consumption via a QR code with their smartphone."
Christopher Albrodt, Production Manager
More about Lu von Loser

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Notruf Hafenkante
When Letterbox Filmproduktion shot the 17th season of the TV series in the period from spring to late fall 2022, the entire production base was powered by a 30 kW generator. Catering, makeup, wardrobe, as well as lounges, were powered by the mobile power storage unit so for the most part that the production didn’t need to use a conventional diesel generator on set.
"It was cost-saving that electricity is cheaper than diesel. However, renting the mobile power storage unit is more expensive than a conventional generator, because the lower consumption costs for the power supply don't cover the higher rental price. By eliminating noise and odor pollution, the working environment for employees has greatly improved."
Mareike Pielot, Green Consultant
More about Notruf Hafenkante

© WDR/Thomas Kost
Tatort Köln: Pyramide
Bavaria Fiction used the "Green Toolbox" for the calculation and analysis in order to track relevant consumption and carbon emissions in the different departments in advance. This enabled the heads of departments to create their own carbon calculation assumption so that the estimated consumption in the different departments became visible at an early stage of pre-production.
"Using a tool like this creates awareness among team members. They can visualize their consumption immediately and the numbers become more tangible, resulting in more mindful and reflective actions. In addition, team members can see the positive results of the green production and can participate in the improvement of the green workflow."
Tobias Wolf, Sustainability Manager
More about Tatort Köln: Pyramide

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Exit Pangea (newcomer production)
Produced between early 2021 and the end of 2022 at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, the filmmakers took a holistic approach to the development of this graduation film. The script was written as a chamber drama in order to reduce the number of filming locations to a minimum. As part of the visual concept the lighting mainly consisted of LED lights.
"We wanted to use as little materials as possible without compromising the atmosphere of the film. The exchange between production and director/script enabled a process of collaborative decision making, which was creatively satisfying. After all, it strengthened our collaboration even if we had to give up a few things."
Sarah Dreyer, Producer
More about Exit Pangea

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Cotton Candy (newcomer production)
Shot in Bangladesh during one day, this International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) production used a minimal setting arrangement. The only prop that was rented for the film was a cotton candy machine.
“I wanted to keep the production as organic and natural to our day-to-day life as possible. The green filming approach of the production helped to strengthen that. We didn’t use any makeup for the cast and the film set was an actual home. We managed to produce no waste throughout the shooting.”
Tayran Razzak, Director of Cotton Candy
More about Cotton Candy

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Isolation (newcomer production)
Produced as a short film at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh, the story was developed as a chamber drama, in which two adult characters withdraw from the public world and seek extreme degrees of isolation in their own way. Due to the fact that the film was shot only at one location, mobility, transport, and also the need for accommodation were limited to a minimum.
“For the location of this film, we initially chose a residential home and created a story that revolved around the existing props and sets. As a result, we minimized production costs and avoided using new materials.”
P. S. S. Gupta, Director of Isolation
More about Isolation

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Riyan (newcomer production)
Shot on one single day, from 6.30 am to 5 pm, the short film was produced at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh. The aim was to reduce the energy consumption of this film production, which was possible due to the cinematographic and lighting concept.
“As part of the green film shooting process, we decided to use only available light. This was an experiment for my team. I'm glad that we could shoot the film with natural light sources.”
Manos Mehedee, Director of Riyan
More about Riyan

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A Tale of a Haunted Soul (newcomer production)
Lensed with the Sony A7III camera, the film was completely shot with available light during the daytime. The use of natural light was the basis for the story, which has been developed at the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) in Bangladesh. As a location, the filmmaker chose a natural setting surrounded by greenery.
“In the context of the story set-up, we chose the green Hill Tracts area. In this natural location, my key prop of the film was a rickshaw, which is an eco-friendly vehicle. The decision to work with the daylight complied with our green filming approach.”
Towhid Riyadh, Director of A Tale of a Haunted Soul
More about A Tale of a Haunted Soul
Award Ceremony 21/22
The award ceremony for the 2021/22 competition period took place on June 20, 2022 at a festive event in the courtyard of the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin.
During this ceremony, the nominated productions were introduced to an audience of industry professionals in the presence of the competition jury. The presentation of the "Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production" was the highlight of the event.
The award ceremony took place in the presence of the Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, among personally invited guests.
Award-winning Production 21/22
The Eisvogel for the competition period 2021/22 was awarded to unafilm TADO GmbH for the production “Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst”.
Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst
Unafilm produced this Tatort Dortmund episode in spring 2021, systematically identifying and specifically implementing environment-related measures.
“The measures implemented by the production in cooperation with the Green Consultant have noticeably led to greater attentiveness to environmental aspects and intensive cooperation within the team.” Titus Kreyenberg, Producer
More about Tatort Dortmund - Gier und Angst
Decision of the competition jury (excerpt):
“The production “Tatort Dortmund – Gier und Angst” is characterized by a particularly coherent general approach to environment-related aspects. The concept combined a clear environmental commitment with a very systematic analysis of possible environmental hot spots and a structured plan of mitigation measures based on this analysis.
In addition to a wide range of measures to reduce the environmental impact of transport (e.g., use of low-emission vehicles and traffic-optimized planning of shots), catering (e.g., regional, seasonal, and organic-certified catering), and accommodation (e.g., consistent use of certified/resource-saving accommodations), an energy-saving lighting concept was implemented. This concept helped to reduce energy use at the set by approx. 80%.
In the opinion of the competition jury, this lighting concept constitutes an effective and readily transferable "innovation". New elements - but available on the market - and particularly bright cameras (Sony FX-6 camera) are combined with efficient and flexible light sources (LED orbiters) as well as other tools (such as skypanels) in such a way that the energy savings make it possible to shoot with "normal" power connections and without the use of a generator, even with demanding design requirements and "on location".”
Nominated Productions 21/22
A pre-selection committee of experts from the Association of Technical Companies for Film & Television (vtff), the Federal Association of Green Film & TV Consultants Germany (GCD) and Green Film Shooting has thoroughly examined the 31 submissions received and selected six productions.
From these six nominated productions, the competition jury selected the final winner of the Eisvogel 21/22.
The nominated productions are briefly presented below.
SaFahri – eine Reise zu den Elementen
This five-part documentary series was produced by Bon Voyage Films for Sky Deutschland between late 2020 and mid 2021. The shooting took place at a large number of locations, some of them in quite remote natural areas.
“The film direction and camera team considered in advance during the pre-production phase how to travel and shoot with the most energy-efficient technology and lightweight luggage possible. We didn't want to set up any elaborate technology in forests, moors and landscape conservation areas, which would have threatened the very things we wanted to film there.” Letizia Lange, Producer
“From the North Sea to the Bavarian Forest and from the North German Moor to the Swiss Alps: even the journeys to the filming locations were as consequently environmentally friendly as possible. Fahri Yardim alone travelled over 5500 kilometres by train.” Christian Asanger, VP Entertainment Sky
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Die stillen Trabanten
This cinema film was produced in mid-2021 by Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH. The movie is an adaptation of the short story collection of the same name by Clemens Meyer, directed by Thomas Stuber. Its premiere is planned by Warner Bros for the year 2022.
“This production, which has been realised according to sustainability standards, has shown that whenever production and crew give themselves the necessary time to develop innovative ideas, they often lead to an environmentally valuable goal without sacrificing creativity." Robert Hertel, Green Consultant
More about Die stillen Trabanten
Die Luft, die wir atmen
This in-house television production by Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) was produced between March 2020 and March 2021 according to the requirements of the “100 Green Productions” of the Green Shooting Working Group. It was one of the first finished films of the project.
The HR gained important experience in sustainable production through this pilot project on green shooting. Many creative solutions developed through the motivation of those involved, such as the pragmatic use of a local farmer's rainwater storage tank for the production of artificial snow. New, innovative techniques were also tested. The realization of the first green production of the HR was also the impetus for the establishment of a sustainability network that carries the “green spirit” further into the corporation and motivates the employees to commit to more sustainability in all areas.
More about Die Luft, die wir atmen
Les Incorrectes
The documentary “Les Incorrectes” (“The Unsuitables“), directed by Anne-Cécile Genre, brings the spotlight back on Alice Milliat and the beginnings of women's sport. Going back and forth between the past and the present, this documentary shows her extraordinary destiny and how today's improvements in gender equality can actually trace their roots back 100 years ago, to Milliat‘s fight for women to practice sport and compete in the Olympic Games.
“Les Incorrectes” was produced with the financial support of the Alice Milliat Foundation, the National Sports Agency (ANS) and is backed by the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF). Since the beginning, eco-responsibility has been a strong commitment for Lucien TV and reducing environmental impact was a major concern from the planning stage.
"Environmental improvements are a process we strive to implement in every film we produce. In this way, we try to reduce the negative impact of our operations while maintaining a high level of quality. This process requires a high level of commitment and in particular more preparatory work in the early stages of production, but it is very satisfying." Julien Tricard, Producer and Founder of Media Club Green.
More about Les Incorrectes
Tempête
The film Tempête by Christian Duguay is based on the novel “Tempête au haras” by Chris Donner. The fictional feature film was produced in spring 2021 by Nolita Cinema on a total of 11 locations in France. The production was consciously planned and carried out according to ecological and social sustainability aspects.
"Faced with the socio-climatic challenges and aware of the need for change, Nolita has integrated the idea that a clear commitment to sustainable film production is a great chance to create new opportunities for film industry. Nolita believes that a sustainable and responsible transformation is essential to the sustainability of our business.” Valentine Gaffinel, Production Coordinator
More about Tempete
Newcomer Productions 21/22
In addition to the nominated productions, two newcomer productions were selected by the experts of the pre-selection committee, which have systematically analysed the environmental impacts of their productions and found creative solutions to reduce them in an outstanding way within a very limited budget.
These newcomer productions will be honoured separately at the EISVOGEL 21/22 award ceremony “out of competition”.
These two newcomer productions are presented briefly below.
Metanoia
Metanoia is a low-budget production by newcomer filmmakers from Berlin which was produced independently of film academies and funded by the RISE project of the media education organisation JFF.
Producer Thea Herrmann and director Alina Podschun have made an explicit commitment to a green production approach and signed corresponding industry agreements. This clear commitment motivated the entire crew to support and implement environmentally related measures.
“We are very pleased that our team has been so ambitious and involved in implementing the numerous measures in the respective departments. We are especially happy about the enthusiastic feedback on vegan catering." Thea Herrmann, Producer
More about Metanoia
Alles Perfekt
The short film "Alles Perfekt", a low-budget production shot in mid-2020, is a student production with which Fabian Gataavizadeh successfully completed his directing studies at the Ruhrakademie in Schwerte. As part of the production, there was proactive preparation and planning of the shoot in terms of green practices.
“By informing the whole team about the green production methods at an early stage, we were able to work more sustainably in all areas. Without the work in the preparation phase, this would not have been possible on set.” Fabian Gataavizadeh, Producer
More about Alles Perfekt
Impressions of the Award Ceremony 21/22
The award ceremony for the 2021/22 competition period took place on June 20, 2022 in the presence of the Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke (BMUV), and the State Minister for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth (BKM).
Below are some picture impressions of the ceremonial act in the courtyard of the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin. The recording of the livestream of the event is available here.
Welcoming words and introduction to the Eisvogel award
Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke (BMUV), welcomes the guests and emphasizes the urgency of sustainable action.
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Presentation of the nominated Productions
The "newcomers", that participated "out of competition" in this competition period, are acknowledged first: The moderator Nina Eichinger and the speaker of the competition jury Michael Beier (Heinz Sielmann Foundation) present the newcomer productions "Metanoia" (represented by Alina Podschun and Thea Herrmann) and "Alles Perfekt" (represented by Fabian Gataavizadeh and Josina Roesmann) with their certificates of recognition.
Further nominations
Awarding of the Eisvogel 21/22
Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemke (BMUV), reads out the competition jury's justification for awarding the Eisvogel 2021/22 to the production "Tatort - Gier und Angst" by una TADO GmbH.
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