Film can be a powerful tool to introduce an audience to a different culture and co-productions play an important role for such cultural exchange. As part of its activities to promote co-productions among German and Arab filmmakers during Berlinale Talents, the Robert Bosch Stiftungheld a gala dinner on Friday, February 12th at its Berlin Representative Office. Professional German and Arab filmmakers, young talents who are nominated for the Film Prize, and members of the jury attended the dinner. Additionally, distinguished filmmakers visiting the Berlin International Film Festival were in attendance as well.

During the gala, the guests came together and interacted with up-and-coming Arab and German filmmakers, including Samer Al Marzooqi, Dubai Film Market Manager; Intishal Al Timimi, Head of the Project Selection Committee at Sanad Fund; Palestinian Director Elia Suleiman, Artistic Consultant for the Doha Film Institute; Basil Khalil, Palestinian Director of the Oscar® nominated Short Film "Ave Maria".

The Robert Bosch Stiftunghas revealed the film projects that were nominated for its Film Prizes last October. The awards are given to three projects in the categories short fiction film, short animated film and short, or feature length documentary with producers and directors from the Arab world and Germany. The Film Prizes are announced on Sunday, 14 February in a ceremony held as part of Berlinale Talents.

The members of the jury are: George David, Director of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan; Johannes Ebert, General Secretary of Goethe-Institut; Doris Hepp, Commissioning Editor of ZDF/Arte, Producer Roman Paul, Founder of Razor Film Production Berlin; Hania Mroué, Director of Metropolis Art Cinema Beirut; Director Marianne Khoury, Co-manager of Misr International Films Cairo and Florian Weghorn, Programme Manager of Berlinale Talents.

Since 2013, the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung for international cooperation has targeted film co-production between young German filmmakers and their partners from the Arab world, encouraging intercultural exchange. Applying for the competition starts annually in May and closes at the end of July. The three winning films will benefit from the value of the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung in funding their film project.