Congratulations to Julia Franz Richter on winning the 2026 Diagonale Acting Award
for her roles in MOTHER’S BABY and WELCOME HOME BABY!

Jury Statement:

These two films, in which she embodies two very different roles, explore female self-determination and the loss of control. In one of these films, her character experiences growing insecurity and a terrifying loss of control in an environment that is both foreign and familiar to her. Old traumas resurface.

While the present becomes a nightmare in one role, her character in the second film contributes significantly to the psychological tensions of a young mother. The range of her performance—spanning vulnerability, overwhelm, inner strength, and the inscrutability of a supposedly helpful character—convinced the jury to award Julia Franz Richter the Diagonale Acting Award for her subtle performance in Welcome Home Baby and Mother’s Baby.