Every year and in memory of cinema legend Klein, who died in 1999 at the age of 79, his daughters Madeleine Budde and Jacqueline Hopp endow the prizes in the two JFBB competitions. In total, the 32nd JFBB will present three awards in 2026:
Feature Film Competition
Gershon Klein Feature Film Award
The prize is awarded to a director and comes with prize money of 3,000 EUR.
Documentary Film Competition
Gershon Klein Documentary Film Award
The prize is awarded to a director and is endowed with a prize money of 3,000 EUR.
Prize for the promotion of young filmmaker, endowed with a prize money of 2,000 EUR by Stephan Goericke.
Feature Film Competition Jury
Mariette Rissenbeek (Producer & Consultant )
Before taking over the management of the Berlinale for five years in 2019, Mariette Rissenbeek worked for 15 years at German Films Marketing & Service, first as Head of Festival Relations and Public Relations, and later as Managing Director. She learned the fundamentals of the film business at Tobis Film and subsequently worked in film production as a producer of television dramas and feature films. She now works as a producer and consultant on a range of international film projects.
Mahnaz Mohammadi (Director)
Mahnaz Mohammadi is an Iranian filmmaker working across documentary and fiction. Her films explore memory, testimony, and resilience, giving voice to stories often kept in silence. Her work has screened at festivals including Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival.
Matan Radin (Cinematographer)
Matan Radin is a cinematographer who has lived and worked in Berlin since 2009. He studied cinematography at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB), as well as photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York and film at CalArts in Los Angeles.
Radin’s works have premiered at major international festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, Sundance, and San Sebastián, receiving wide recognition for their emotional depth and distinctive visual style. In 2021, Radin was awarded the Israeli Film Award for Best Cinematography.
Documentary Film Competition Jury
Marina Chernivsky (Psychologist & Behavioral Scientist)
Marina Chernivsky is a psychologist and behavioral scientist. She heads the Center of Excellence for Critical Education and Research on Anti-Semitism (KOAS), which she founded, and is the founder and managing director of OFEK e.V., a counseling center for victims of anti-Semitic violence and discrimination.
Eytan Ipeker (Editor & Filmmaker)
Eytan Ipeker is a Berlin-based editor and filmmaker whose work has screened at Cannes, Berlinale, Rotterdam, Sarajevo, DOKLeipzig, and Visions du Réel. He has received numerous awards for his editing, including the European Film Award.
Rana Abu Fraiha-Asyag (Director & Screenwriter)
Rana Abu Fraiha-Asyag is a director, screenwriter, and editor, and the first Bedouin woman filmmaker in Israel. Her documentary In Her Footsteps won international awards and screened worldwide. In 2019, she was named to Forbes Israel’s “30 Under 30.” She is committed to advancing Arab and Bedouin art in Israel.
