this i dedicate this award to the fighting women of my country. in the year of the me too movement strong women have swept the boards going on and off camera at the bandanna. certainly no coincidence. over the years the billion dollar has as a platform for germany's young filmmakers but the festival also gained a reputation as a home for politically and socially engaged filmmakers from all over the world just look at this year's program migration and refugees are a big issue standing up against corruption and despotism is another one and then there are the big stories of contemporary history stories that once made headlines