German Film Prize Nominations Announced

After collecting the coveted Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival, German director Fatih Akin is continuing his winning streak. His hard-hitting movie Head-On picked up no less than four nominations when the candidates for the German Film Prize were announced Monday evening. Otherwise known as the "Lolas", the awards ceremony, often described as Germany's equivalent of the Oscars, will take place in Berlin in June. Head-On is nominated for best film, best director and its lead actors, Sibel Kekilli and Birol Ünel, are up for two best actor awards. Sönke Wortmann's feelgood soccer movie The Miracle of Bern is another favourite with three nominations, while other contenders include Christian Petzold's Wolfsburg and Leander Haußmann's Herr Lehmann. According to the German Government, the Lola is the world's most lucrative national film prize -- a nomination alone is worth some €250.000 Euro, while the winner pockets twice that figure. Last year, German blockbuster Good Bye, Lenin! swept the board, taking home seven Lolas and going on to charm audiences around the world.