Mascha Schilinski (; born 1984) is a German film director and screenwriter. Her second feature film, Sound of Falling (2025), won the Jury Prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.
Early life Schilinski was born in West Berlin to a German filmmaker mother and a French construction worker father. She was a child actor in her youth. After dropping out of high school, she worked as a magician in a traveling circus. She graduated from the screenwriting program at the in 2008, and later studied directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg.
Career
Schilinski began her career as a casting director and freelance writer. Her first feature film, , premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the GWFF Best First Feature Award.
Her second feature film, Sound of Falling, was screened in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize; the film marked only the second time a German production won the Cannes Jury Prize, after Konrad Wolf's Stars in 1959. The film was later selected as the German entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.
Schilinski signed with Creative Artists Agency and Ithaka Media in December 2025.
Personal life Schilinski's husband, Fabian Gamper, is a cinematographer. They have one child.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Notes 2012 Wir müssen los! Short film; co-directed with Roman Schikorsky 2014 Das Gefühl Short film 2015 Die Katze Short film 2017 2025 Sound of Falling Co-written with Louise Peter
Television Year Title Director Writer Notes 2019–2020 Cologne P.D. 2 episodes
Awards and nominations Award Year Category Nominated work Result Berlin International Film Festival 2017 GWFF Best First Feature Award Cannes Film Festival 2025 Palme d'Or Sound of Falling Jury Prize European Film Awards 2026 Best Film Sound of Falling Best Director Best Screenwriter German Film Awards 2026 Best Direction Sound of Falling Best Screenplay Jerusalem Film Festival 2025 Best Director Sound of Falling LA Film Festival 2017 World Fiction Award Melbourne International Film Festival 2025 Bright Horizons Competition Sound of Falling Red Rock Film Festival 2017 Best Fiction Feature
References
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