The Spanish comedy „What are Bears for?" (original title: ¿Para qué sirve un oso?) has won the „Heinrich", the audience award of Braunschweig's 25th International Film Festival. The award ceremony took place on Sunday, 13.11. at 7:00 pm in Braunschweig's State Theater's Great Hall. The prize money of 10.000 Euro is equally divided between director Tom Fernández and a German distributor who has decided to take the film to the screens. The prize money is donated by the festival's main sponsor, Volkswagen Financial Services AG.

The short film music prize „The Leo" goes to the Dutch film „The Origin of Creature" by Floris Kyaak (Regie) und Lennert Busch (Musik). The computer animation was selected by a jury with director Verena S. Freytag, music journalist Uwe Golz, film composer Dieter Schleip and Carsten Spicher, the head of the German competition  as well as the archive of the short film festival in Oberhausen. The purse of 2.000 Euro is provided by the company BEL NET.

For the fifth time the French-German Youth Award KINEMA was selected by a jury of five young people from both countries. Under the supervision of director Gordrian Maugg („Zeppelin!"),  the young jurors chose the French production „Ne nous soumets pas à la tentation" by director Cheyenne Carron. Carron wins a 35mm-single print copy with German subtitles for further festival use.

The festival's main prize, the European Actor's Award worth 10.000 Euro, is awarded to the French actress Isabelle Huppert for her outstanding performances and contribution to European film culture. The award is supported by the festival's main sponsor, Volkswagen Financial Services AG.