Feb 01, 2023
Berlinale Series 2023: Berlinale Series Award Jury

For the first time, the Berlinale Series Award in cooperation with “Deadline” will be given to the best series. With the introduction of Berlinale Series in 2015, the Berlinale was the first A-list festival worldwide to do justice to changing viewing habits and the importance of serial storytelling. The prize is the logical development of this appreciation and the first award at an A festival to be installed specifically for a series. Seven series are nominated for the prize, which is awarded by a three-member jury: Mette Heeno (Denmark), André Holland (USA) and Danna Stern (Israel). The award ceremony will take place on February 22.

The jury members are:

Mette Heeno (Denmark)

The Danish screenwriter, showrunner and executive producer has already been a Berlinale Series guest with two series – the sitcom Splitting Up Together (2016), whose US remake with Jenna Fischer was produced by Ellen DeGeneres, and the crime drama Snow Angels (2021). Heeno completed her screenwriting studies at the prestigious National Film School of Denmark and has written over 20 films and series since graduating in 2001, including All Inclusive (2014), Park Road (2009-2010) and most recently the high-end series Carmen Curlers (since 2022) about the inventor of the electronic curling iron in the 1960s, which has already been commissioned for two more seasons.

André Holland (USA)

Last seen in Bones and All, actor André Holland alternates between theatre, series and film. Best known for his roles in Sugar (2008), Miracle at St. Anna (2008), 42 (2013), Passing (2021) and the two Academy Award-winning films Selma (2014) and Moonlight (2016), he appeared in numerous theatre productions, most recently as Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. With Steven Soderbergh, he collaborated on High Flying Bird (2019) and the series The Knick (2014-2015). He was co-executive producer and starred in The Eddy (Berlinale Series 2020), Damien Chazelle’s love letter to jazz culture in Paris. Upcoming projects are the AppleTV+ series The Big Cigar and the movie The Actor with Gemma Chan, directed by Duke Johnson.

Danna Stern (Israel)

The Tel Aviv-born, Berlin-based producer and global content executive works across borders, genres and formats. She founded the Israeli yes Studios, a development and distribution powerhouse for high-end projects. Here she created Israeli series for a global audience, including Fauda (since 2015), Shtisel (2013-2021) and The Devil Next Door (2019), and was responsible for numerous international adaptations, including Your Honor (2020-2023) / Euer Ehren (2022) based on the Israeli original Kvodo (2017) and As We See It (2022) based on the original On the Spectrum (2018). Danna Stern has twice been named one of the “Top 500 Global Media Leaders” by industry magazine “Variety”.

The full Berlinale Series programme can be found in the Berlinale film search tool.

Press Office
February 1, 2023