ifs professor honored for production of »Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht«

At this year's Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival (19-25 January, 2026), the graduation film »My Name Akim« (Director/Screenplay: Aleksandr Kim, Producer: Alina Naomi Theis, Creative Producer: Annalena Liesner, DoP: Jonas Thibaut, Editing: Sophia Timšin) from the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln won the audience award for Best Medium-Length Film. 
Director and screenwriter Aleksandr Kim accepted the award on Saturday evening at the awards ceremony together with the film team. The prize is endowed with €5,000, donated by Sparkasse Saarbrücken.

The audience award for Best Documentary Film went to »Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht« (Director: Jelena Ilić), produced by ifs professor and graduate Melanie Andernach and Knut Loosen (MADE IN GERMANY Filmproduktion). Producer and ifs student Julian Schön accepted the award together with director Jelena Ilić and editor Sandra Brandl. The prize is also endowed with €5,000, donated by Dillinger and Saarstahl.

In the drama »My Name Akim« (Director/Screenplay: Aleksandr Kim, Producer: Alina Naomi Theis, Creative Producer: Annalena Liesner, DoP: Jonas Thibaut, Editing: Sophia Timšin), Akim, a trans man and political refugee, encounters bureaucratic hurdles, incomprehensible regulations, and inhuman coldness in his tireless attempts to learn German.

In »Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht«, the director explores her relationship with her father, who suffers from drug-induced psychosis and is currently in a forensic psychiatric ward. His release is approaching. How can the director be sure that her father will not relapse and become violent again?

The Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival is one of the most prestigious platforms for young filmmakers from the DACH region. This year, 18 prizes with a total value of €123,500 were awarded.

A selection of images from the two award-winning films can be found here: www.filmschule.de
Please note the photo credits provided.
 

Created on 26.01.2026