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At the start of the year, there are numerous projects featuring ifs alumni to check out—in Saarbrücken, in theaters, on TV, and online.
Many ifs graduates are represented with their works at the Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival (Jan. 19–25, 2026):
In the documentary film competition, »Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht« (directed by Jelena Ilic), produced by ifs professor and alumna Melanie Andernach and Knut Loosen, is screening. The producer is ifs student Julian Schön.
ifs alumni Jascha Viehl (sound) and Nils Herrmann (Foley) are involved in »M.« (directed by Adrian Witzel), which is being screened in the Medium-Length Film competition. Also screening in the same category is »Arme Hunde« (directed by Moritz Licht), for which alumnus Benedikt Pawils served as director of photography.
The Special Olympics guest program is dedicated to the film »Ganzer Halber Bruder«, directed by alumnus Hanno Olderdissen, based on a screenplay by alumnus Clemente Fernandez-Gil, with alumnus Dominik Schmitz serving as set decorator.
The ifs film »Flying From War« is screening in the Bundesfestival Junger Film guest program (Director: Ciara Borgards; Concept: Ciara Borgards, Luisa Niederschuh; Screenplay: C. Borgards, Theresa Wessel; Producer: Philip Malewicz; DoP: Jonas Thibaut; Production Design: L. Niederschuh; Editing: Hannes Gabelmann, Niklas Lipski; VFX: C. Borgards, Ute Becker).
The following films are set to premiere in January:
- On January 15, the drama »Small Town Girl«, for which alumna Bine Jankowski served as DoP.
- On January 22, the documentary »Astrid Lindgren: Humanity Has Lost Its Mind«, for which alumna Friedericke Dörffler handled the editing.
The film »Marie Brand and the Lost Children« for which alumna Ingrid Kaltenegger co-wrote the screenplay (with Mathias Klaschka), will air on ZDF on January 7 at 8:15 p.m. (already available in the media library).
The short story collection »Das Winken der vergnügten Katze« by Thomas A. Herrig, an ifs student in the MA in Serial Storytelling program and a cultural journalist, was published in December by Münster-Verlag in Zurich.