Atika Jumaih Bashiru was awarded the New German Cinema Award for Best Acting Performance at the Munich Film Festival (28.06. - 07.07.) for her performance in the graduation film »O Chale« from the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln.
The prize, endowed with 10,000 euros and sponsored by DZ Bank AG, Bavaria Film and Bayerischer Rundfunk, was accepted on behalf of producer Julius Nerlich.

The jury consisting of Mariko Minoguchi (director and screenwriter), Denis Moschitto (actor and director) and Florian Koerner von Gustorf (film producer) judged:
"With just a few words, Atika Jumaih Bashiru's play conveys a truthfulness that touched us. Her ability to express emotions and inner conflicts through her presence alone is impressive and proves that good acting doesn't always have to be loud and expressive."

In the docufiction »O Chale« (Director, Concept/Screenplay: Jan Hendrik Lübbers, Producer: Julius Nerlich, DoP: Jonas Thibaut, Editing & Sound Design: Hannes Gabelmann), funded by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, four friends live through the challenges of growing up in the hectic streets of the Ghanaian capital Accra: their lives are characterized by unstable plans for the future, complicated father-son relationships, traditional gender roles and the fear of losing their innocent childhood. The basketball court becomes the ideal place to playfully escape from everyday life.
The film was shot in Ghana with non-professional actors. The film team received local support from the community initiative DUNK Developing Unity Nurturing Knowledge and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) in Accra.