The German film The Teachersʼ Lounge by İlker Çatak has won the Latin American Critics' Award for European Films, which is being presented for the first time by European Film Promotion (EFP) in cooperation with the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
The Teachersʼ Lounge by İlker Çatak was announced as this year’s winning film on Sunday evening of 9 June at the Guadalajara International Film Festival which will be running until 15 June. The German director, who could not attend the festival in person because he is in the middle of shooting his next film, sent greetings to the festival and to the audience:
“It’s a great honour and a great pleasure to have received this award. I am very happy that the film is screening in Guadalajara and I hope that it will hit theatres very soon in Latin America. Lots of love to you and for cinema!“
The Teachers’ Lounge follows the young and dedicated teacher Carla Nowack (Leonie Benesch/European Shooting Star 2023) who is torn between her idealism and the reality of everyday school life in her first job. Directed by İlker Çatak and based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Johannes Duncker, the film explores society and social behaviour outside the classroom. It deals with topics such as prejudice, racism, disinformation and surveillance. In 2023, the drama celebrated its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama section, screened at numerous other festivals and won several awards, including five German Film Awards as well as the Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film at the Berlinale. The Teachers’ Lounge was produced by if… productions, in co-production with ZDF and arte, and was this year's German entry and one of the five nominees for the Academy Awards® in the Best International Feature Film category.
“Congratulations to İlker Çatak for winning the award. It was probably the universality of the film’s theme, the outstanding directing and Leonie Benesch's excellent performance in front of the camera which convinced the jury. Our sincere thanks go to the 33 selected film critics from 13 Latin American countries in the jury who took their time to watch all 23 nominated films from 23 different European countries. And of course to the Festival del cine en Guadalajara for giving us a fantastic stage to introduce our first Latin American Critics' Award“, EFP’s Managing Director Sonja Heinen says.
“We are very excited to be part of the Latin American Critics' Award for European Films and to receive the first winning film. This synergy connects the Latin American perspective with European stories and modes of filmmaking, which represents a magnificent opportunity for establishing an enriching dialogue between two regions“, says Estrella Araiza, Managing Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
With the first Latin American Critics’ Award for European Films, EFP is focusing on the Central and South American continent and looking to boost the visibility and circulation of European films and “festival hits” in Latin America.
The Latin American Critics’ Award in cooperation with the Guadalajara Film Festival is made possible thanks to the national film promotion institutes. LatAm cinema and Cineuropa are the media partners.
about guadalajara filmf estival
The reinvention of Mexican cinema started at the Guadalajara Film Festival(FICG), and since then, the festival has become a fundamental
meeting point for the Mexican and Ibero American film community. The
FICG is the most solid film event in Latin America because of its
program and the assembly of industry professionals, and has contributed
substantially to the formation of audiences of cinema.
