Lolas: 'Toni Erdmann' Dominates German Film Awards

Maren Ade's tragicomedy, which was snubbed at the Oscars, took home six prizes on an evening in which strong women in front of and behind the camera were frequently recognized.

After being snubbed at the BAFTAs and the Oscars, Maren Ade's tragicomedy Toni Erdmann cleaned up Friday night at home, winning best film at the German Film Awards, or Lolas, which were held in Berlin.

Toni Erdmann picked up a total of six awards, including Lolas for Ade for best director and screenwriter, best actor honors for Peter Simonischek, a best actress prize for Sandra Huller and the trophy for best editing, for Heike Parplies.

The film, which looks at the strained relationship between a career-oriented daughter and her hippie dad, was one of the most critically acclaimed films at Cannes last year when it premiered. Sony Classics quickly picked up the movie for the U.S., where it went on to earn nearly $1.5 million at the domestic box office and close to $10 million worldwide. Along the way, Toni Erdmann also nabbed a few prizes, including sweeping the European Film Awards, winning five trophies, including best film.

Women dominated this year's Lolas, both in front and behind the camera. Wild, director Nicolette Krebitz's dark fairy tale/erotic drama about a woman who falls in love with a wolf, took home four awards, including best supporting actor for Georg Friedrich, best cinematography and best sound design.

The prize winners were picked by the 1,800 members of the German Film Academy.

Toni Erdmann was widely expected to receive the top honor, and there were few real surprises at this year's show, aside from a guest appearance — via video — from documentary filmmaker and political provocateur Michael Moore, who announced the nominees for best documentary. Moore said the AMPAS, America's film academy, "would never let me onstage" and jokingly thanked Germany "for giving us Trump," noting that Donald Trump's ancestors were kicked out of Germany "and became refugees to the U.S."

The best documentary prize went to Swiss director Heidi Specogna's Cahier africain, which follows the lives of two young Central African woman for seven years after they were raped by soldiers.

The Flowers of Yesterday, Chris Kraus' attempt to combine a Holocaust drama with a modern-day romantic comedy, led the nominations going into this year's Lolas, but was completely snubbed by the German Film Academy.

Julia Jentsch, known for her lead performance in the Oscar-nominated Sophie Scholl — The Final Days, took home best actress honors for her role in 24 Weeks, a drama about a woman struggling with whether to abort her unborn child. Fritzi Haberlandt was named best supporting actress for Fog in August, a drama about the Nazis' program of state-authorized euthanasia.

Paula, a period film about German painter Paula Becker-Modersohn, won technical Lolas for best set design and best costume design.

The Lola for best score went to Oli Biehler for his original music to the fantasy film Das kalte Herz.

Simon Verhoeven's comedy Welcome to the Hartmanns, which finds the funny in the European refugee crisis, took the Lola for the most commercially successful German film of 2016.

For the first time, the lifetime achievement award went to a film editor: Monika Schindler, whose work includes Free Fall, Night Shapes and The Policewoman.

ARRI, the groundbreaking cinema-technology film company, received a special honor for extraordinary technical achievement. Since 1967, the Munich-based firm has won 18 technical Oscars for its inventions and innovations.

A complete list of winners follows.

Best Film

Toni Erdmann, director Maren Ade

Best Film – Lola in Silver

24 Weeks, director Anne Zohra Berrached

Best Film – Lola in Bronze

Wild, director Nicolette Krebitz

Best Documentary

Cahier africain, director Heidi Specogna

Best Children's Film

Auf Augenhohe, directors Evi Goldbrunner, Joachim Dollhopf

Best Screenplay

Maren Ade for Toni Erdmann

Best Director

Maren Ade for Toni Erdmann

Best Actress

Sandra Huller for Toni Erdmann

Best Supporting Actress

Fritzi Haberlandt for Fog in August

Best Actor

Peter Simonischek for Toni Erdmann

Best Supporting Actor

Georg Friedrich for Wild

Best Cinematography

Reinhold Vorschneider for Wild

Best Editing

Heike Parplies for Toni Erdmann

Best Set Design

Tim Pannen for Paula

Best Costume Design

Frauke Firl for Paula

Best Make Up

Kathi Kullack for Das kalte Herz

Best Score

Oli Biehler for Das kalte Herz

Best Sound Design

Rainer Heesch, Christoph Schilling, Martin Steyer for Wild

Lifetime Achievement Award

Film editor Monika Schindler

Most Successful German Film of the Year

Welcome to Germany, director Simon Verhoeven