Two ORF Originals receive top honors at one of the most prestigious festivals for crime fiction in the German‑speaking world.

AUSTRIA/GERMANY – At the German Television Crime Festival 2026 in Wiesbaden, Germany, two ORF crime productions achieved outstanding success, earning a total of three awards. The prizes were presented on Friday, May 8, recognizing excellence in contemporary television crime storytelling. The German Television Crime Festival is widely regarded as a key platform for high‑quality crime productions in Europe.

 

The festival’s Grand Prize was awarded to the Backwoods Crime movie “Eight”, written and directed by Marie Kreutzer. In its statement, the jury praised the film’s precision and impact, highlighting its tightly composed narrative and its ability to address relevant themes such as anti‑democratic conspiracy ideologies and toxic masculinity without losing dramatic momentum or audience appeal.

In addition, “Eight” also received a Special Acting Award honoring Regina Fritsch and Thomas Prenn. The jury commended the duo’s restrained and highly nuanced performances, emphasizing the palpable sense of mutual respect between their characters and the compelling dramatic tension created through minimalistic yet powerful acting.

A further Special Prize was awarded to the ORF/ARTE co‑production “The Easter Egg Plot”, directed by Daniel Prochaska and written by Stefan Hafner and Thomas Weingartner, based on the novel by Thomas Stipsits. The jury highlighted the film’s distinctive world, brought to life through a warm and unique ensemble, as well as its accomplished cinematography, production design, editing and music. Particular praise was given to the film’s confident integration of humor into the crime genre, demonstrating the creative possibilities that emerge when tonal boundaries are expanded.

In “Eight”, the killing of a respected country doctor by a single, distant gunshot sets off an investigation led by Chief Inspector Marion Geyer and her new colleague Patrick Brandl. What initially appears to be a classic whodunit gradually unfolds into a dark and socially charged case, revealing the victim’s connections to extremist ideologies, conspiracy circles and radicalized networks. 

In “The Easter Egg Plot”, Inspector Sifkovits returns to his home village shortly before Easter, only to be confronted with a murder that appears to implicate his own mother when her knife is identified as the weapon. Determined to clear her name, he immerses himself in village life and its tightly knit traditions, where long‑standing rivalries, hidden alliances and intricately decorated Easter eggs hold crucial clues. The film blends classic crime storytelling with warmth and humor, creating a distinctive tone rooted in character, community and place.

Both award‑winning ORF Originals are distributed worldwide by ORF‑Enterprise.

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