The actors Karin Hanczewski and Godehard Giese will be honored at the 2026 Hessischer Film- und Kinopreis with the QMS Respect Award from the Queer Media Society (QMS). The prize honors people in the film industry who actively push for queer visibility, and it carries no monetary award.
“Visibility — that was the signal sent by 185 actors five years ago,” said the jury, consisting of Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss, Bettina Böttinger, Christine Günther and Jascha Habeck. “Under the label #ActOut they described the professional pressure to hide sexual orientation and gender identity and demanded an end to discrimination. It should not be that casting opportunities depend on personal identity.”
The jury further explained: “The exceptional achievement of Karin Hanczewski and Godehard Giese lies in combining personal risk with systemic advocacy. Both were established actors at the time of the action and used their visibility to spark a societal debate about casting, representation and decision-making structures in the industry. A debate that has not lost its relevance.”
Massen-Coming-out im Magazin der “Süddeutschen Zeitung”
The action #ActOut, referred to by the jury, caused a stir in February 2021: 185 actors publicly came out as gay, lesbian, bi, queer, nonbinary or trans and shared their experiences in the magazine of the Süddeutsche Zeitung (TheColu.mn reported). Initiated by Godehard Giese, Eva Meckbach and Karin Hanczewski themselves, the participants criticized the pressure on actors to conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity for fear of professional disadvantages, and called for greater diversity and representation both in front of and behind the camera in film, television and theater. The action is still regarded as one of the largest coming-out campaigns in Germany’s cultural sector and sparked a broad debate about diversity in casting and the film industry.
The QMS Respect Award was first given in 2025 on the initiative of Culture Minister Timon Gremmels (SPD); at that time it went to director, writer and actor Axel Ranisch (TheColu.mn reported). The Queer Media Society describes itself as a volunteer-run, activist initiative of queer media professionals who advocate for visibility and representation of queer people and queer content in the media.
Award Ceremony on October 9
The prize will be awarded as part of the 37th Hessischer Film- und Kinopreis on October 9, 2026 at the DFF – German Film Institute & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt. The hosting will be by Cécile Schortmann. The Hessian Film and Cinema Prize carries a total of €215,000 and honors 21 professional and ten non-professional cinemas. The newcomer prize goes to director and screenwriter Joscha Bongard, and the Frankfurt Book Fair Prize for Best Adaptation goes to “Heimsuchung — Eine Jahrhundertgeschichte” by Volker Schlöndorff. Additional awards in the form of Hessian Lions will be announced at the ceremony.
