Ramona and Nico have just finished school and are letting themselves be carried along by the Berlin summer. After playing a prank, they have to flee—reluctantly into a politically charged world. In search of a released bird and their little brother, they struggle to maintain their friendship and unexpectedly stumble upon other life stories that offer hope.
Best friends Ramona and Nico have just finished school and are letting the Berlin summer carry them along. When, after playing a prank with a slingshot, they also set their neighbor’s rare bird free and Ramona’s little brother Noah goes missing at a climate protest, they start running away. Reluctantly navigating a politically charged world that demands they take a stand, they encounter moments of quiet poetry and social friction. In their search for the released bird and Ramona’s little brother, they struggle to maintain their friendship and their belief in themselves, and unexpectedly stumble upon other life stories that offer hope.
NULPEN portrays a young generation trying to navigate between a desire for freedom and the pressure of social responsibility. In a world full of uncertainties—marked by the climate crisis and growing resignation—their longing for lightheartedness is palpable.
| ★ AWARDS | |
| Goldener Spatz 2025 | Best Screenplay Award (in collaboration with MDR) |
| achtung berlin 2025 | Honorable Mention – Best Screenplay |
| Neiße Filmfestival 2025 | Honorable Mention – Feature Film |
| OFFICIAL SELECTION | |
| Max Ophüls Preis 2025 | Feature Film Competition (World Premiere) |
| Crossing Europe 2025 | Fiction Competition |
| Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2025 | |
| Sarajevo Film Festival 2025 | Teens Arena |
| Giffoni Film Festival 2025 | Generation +16 |
| Gijon International Film Festival 2025 | |
| Zlín Film Festival 2025 | International Youth Film |
| LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers 2025 | |
| Buster Film Festival 2025 | Youth Film Competition |
| Braunschweig International Film Festival 2025 | |
| Lux Film Festival (Luxembourg) | |
| Euganea Film Festival (Italy) | |
| Schulkinowoche Berlin 2025 | Opening Film |
| Parayam International Film Festival (India) | |
| Nordic Film Festival New York 2025 | Opening Film / Best Supporting Actor |
Title: Slackers (German title: Nulpen)
Director: Sorina Gajewski
Screenplay: Sorina Gajewski
Producers: Sabrina Holzapfel
Cast: Bella Lochmann (Ramona), Pola Geiger (Nico), Rio Kirchner (Noah), Carl Bagnar (Matze), Katrine Eichberger (Sybille), Eva Medusa Gühne (Mojo), Cleo Holder (Lilia), Lara-Sophie Milagro (Pastor Eazy Jannek), Marc Philipps (Günter), Marisa Wojtkowiak (Li), Bärbel Tech (Magician), Laura Zemke (Assistant Director)
Cinematography: Hannes Schulze
Editing: Raffaello Lupperger
Music: Lucas Castillo
Genre: Road trip, Drama, Comedy, Coming-of-age
Production: German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB)
Country of production: Germany
Year of production: 2025
Languages: German
Subtitles: English
Rating: 12 and up (no restrictions on holidays)
Descriptors: Violence, Discrimination, Threats
Runtime: 81 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Projection formats: DCP (DCI 2K Flat)
Resolution: 1998×1080
Audio: 5.1 (DCP) / 2.0
World Premiere:
January 21, 2025
Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival 2025,
Saarbrücken, Germany
Distribution: UCM.ONE
Film label: Darling Berlin
Booking & Billing: CAMINO Filmverleih
Theatrical release: June, 18 2026
“SLACKERS” is a film about the longing for lightness in a world full of uncertainties. Our protagonists, two young women from different social classes, navigate the crushing expectations of saving the world while simultaneously striving for freedom and self-determination.
Amid a collage of Berlin residents, they undergo a subtle transformation—from indifference to a spark of hope and responsibility.
Our film counters the gravity of the future with a generous dose of tenderness and friendship, offering an emotional response to “climate crisis anxiety.” It is a plea for faith in a better future, without losing sight of the humor and lightness of life.
Sorina Gajewski was born in Hamburg in 1994. After studying screenwriting at the film school CIEVYC (Centro de Investigación y Experimentación en Video y Cine) in Buenos Aires, she began studying directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) in 2018.
In her work, she explores themes such as youth, family, social justice, and feminist perspectives. Her artistic focus is on stories with social relevance, often told from a female or youth perspective. “Slackers“ (2025) is her first feature film and was produced as part of her studies at the DFFB.
Filmography (selection):
2026/2027: Spirit Divine – Director, Screenplay – Feature Film, 100 min. (in development)
2025/2026: Hungry, Season 2 – Director – Drama Series, 6×15 min. – ZDF/ARTE (in pre-production)
2025/2026: Mann werden – Director – Documentary, 88 min. – WDR (in production)
2025: Slackers – Director, Screenplay – Feature film, 81 min. – dffb
2025: Zwei Welten in mir – Director – Documentary, 27 min. – ZDF
2024: First Taste – Director – Documentary, 30 min. – BKM
2023: Falling Blossoms – Director – Short Film, 9 min. – dffb
2022: This Is the Last Time I’m Doing This – Director – Short Film, 20 min. – dffb
Pola Geiger (*2004, Warsaw) is a German-Polish actress. Raised bilingually in German and Polish, she speaks fluent English and French. She has been in front of the camera since childhood and has taken on leading roles in films such as “The Boy in the Checkered Shirt” (Aleksandra Odić), “Jessy” (Rebeca Ofek), “We Might as Well Be Dead” (Natalia Sinelnikova), and “When Will It Finally Be the Way It Never Was” (Sonja Heiss). For her work, she was nominated for the First Steps Award (Götz-George Young Talent Award) in 2022 and for the Golden Hen in the “Rising Star” category in 2023. She is represented by AHOI Agency Berlin.
Filmography (selection):
2025: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – Feature film, directed by Francis Lawrence
2025: Each of Us – Feature film, directed by Jadowska, Werenfels, Berrached, Ballús
2025: Tiger Smile – Feature film, directed by Stella Fachinger
2025: Semi-Detached – The End – TV series, ZDF, directed by Rebecca Ofek
2024: Punching the World – Feature film, directed by Constanze Klaue
2023: Slackers – Nico – Feature Film, 81 min., Directed by Sorina Gajewski
2022: We Might as Well Be Dead – Feature Film, Directed by Natalia Sinelnikova
2021: When Will It Finally Be the Way It Never Was – Feature Film, Directed by Sonja Heiss
Bella Lochmann (*2007, Berlin) grew up in Berlin and South Tyrol and was exposed to creative processes at an early age through her mother, a freelance artist and curator. She gained her first acting experience at a young age and has consistently pursued her passion. Her role as Ramona in “Slackers” marks her debut in a feature-length film. She lives in Berlin and will graduate from high school in 2026.
Filmography (selection):
2025: Slackers – Ramona – Feature film, 81 min., directed by Sorina Gajewski
2025: Short film – Police Intern – directed by Janosch Emil Sauer
2024: German language learning material – Scenic performance – directed by Sorina Gajewski
Rio Valentin Kirchner (*2011) is a young up-and-coming actor making his film debut in “Slackers”. In front of the camera, he impresses with his naturalness and emotional honesty. In addition to “Slackers,” he appeared in the film “Sowas gibt’s nicht in unserer Familie.”
Filmography (selection):
2025: Slackers, feature film, 81 min., directed by Sorina Gajewski
2025: That’s Not How It Is in Our Family – short film, 80 min., directed by Marcus Hanisch
Hannes Schulze is a freelance cinematographer specializing in documentary and fiction, based in Berlin. He studied cinematography at the self-organized Filmarche as well as at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. In his work, he combines intuitive, spontaneous observation with precise, staged visual composition. He is particularly interested in the in-between—moments that defy clear categorization and develop their own tension.
His films have been screened at over 50 film festivals and have won numerous awards. Last year, he shot a series for ZDFneo and a 90-minute documentary for WDR, among other projects.
Filmography (Selected Works):
2025: Slackers – Feature Film, 81 min., Director: Sorina Gajewski
2026: Hungry Season 2 – TV Series, 6×15 min., ZDF/ARTE
2026: Mann werden – Documentary, 88 min., WDR
2024: Not a Statue – Documentary, 90 min. (Post-production)
2022: Following Valeria – Documentary, 35 min., 3sat ZDF (Grimme Award nomination)
2022: Volver al Sur – Short film, 14 min., DFFB (Short Tiger Award Cannes)
Raffaéllo Lupperger is an editor who studied film editing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb). His previous work includes the series “Marzahn Mon Amour” (UFA Fiction) as well as “WIR,” “Feelings,” and “ECHT!” (Studio Zentral). “Nulpen” marks his feature film debut as an editor. In addition to his work on serial formats, he is increasingly exploring experimental narrative styles and open cinematic forms.
Filmographie (Auswahl):
2025: Slackers – Spielfilm, 81 Min., Regie: Sorina Gajewski
2025: Marzahn Mon Amour – Serie, Regie: Clara Zoé My-Linh von Arnim
2021-2023: WIR – Serie, Regie: Nancy Mac Granaky-Quaye
2022: Excalibur City – Regie: Clara Zoé My-Linh von Arnim, Victoria Schulz
2022: Meine Frau weint – Post Production Advisor – Regie: Angela Schanelec
Sabrina Holzapfel is a producer who divides her time between Berlin and the Austrian Alps. Even before she began her studies at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb), she produced several short films as well as the internationally successful feature film “Lebendig” by Michael Siebert, which was nominated for “New German Cinema” and Best Director at the International Hofer Filmtage and won Best Feature Film at the South Texas International Film Festival.
Her short film productions include “My Little Rabbit” by Ira Sliusar (FILMZ Mainz) and “sentimental stories” by Xandra Popescu, which screened in the Orizzonti Short Films competition at the Venice Film Festival. With “Nulpen,” she completed her second feature film. She is currently producing “Der Grand Canyon” (working title) by Simona Kostova, funded by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the rbb.
Filmographie (Auswahl):
2025: Slackers – Spielfilm, 81 Min., Regie: Sorina Gajewski
2023: sentimental stories – Kurzfilm, Regie: Xandra Popescu
2022: My Little Rabbit – Kurzfilm, Regie: Ira Sliusar
2019: Lebendig – Spielfilm, Regie: Michael Siebert
| GERMANY | ||
| Abensberg | Roxi-Kino (16.03.) | German |
| Aschaffenburg | Casino Filmtheater (16.03.) | German |
| Bremen | Gondel Kino (13.03.) | German |
| Dresden | Cineplex Kristallpalast (17.03.) | German |
| Eberswalde | Moviemagic Eberswalde (26.03.) | German |
| Leipzig | Passage Kinos (27.03.) | OV w/EN sub |
| Neuruppin | Union Filmtheater (24.03.) | German |
| Wasserburg | Kino Utopia (16.03.) | German |
| AUSTRIA | ||
| Crossing Europe Film Festival Linz (28.04.–03.05.2026) | ||
| 01.05. Linz | City Kino Linz (OV w/EN sub) | Crossing Europe 28.04.–03.05.2026, Club YAAAS! section, free admission (under 24) // Fri 01.05.2026, 4:30 pm |
“Her energy is contagious. Thrilling.”
(Tagesspiegel)
“Director Sorina Gajewski has created an incredibly direct, wonderfully condensed, yet utterly lifelike and incredibly funny film. In just over an hour and a quarter, we experience Moni and Nico as they spend this one day, on a pro forma search for a bird, but above all on a search for themselves, for each other. […] On the contrary: Hardly any film has taken this generation as seriously as *Nulpen*, which accompanies them directly and intimately through their internalized disillusionment and their nihilism regarding the future, because salvation seems impossible.”
(Harald Mühlbeyer, Kino‑Zeit.de)
“In the end, one thing remains certain: ‘Nulpen’ is not a film about heroes, but about young people who have no idea how adult life actually works—and who, precisely for that reason, come across as touchingly genuine. Sorina Gajewski pulls off the feat of portraying Berlin and youth as a chaotic, vibrant, sometimes ugly, but always lively unity and reality.”
(Gaby Sikorski, Filmstarts.de)
“In ‘Nulpen,’ we drift through a shimmering summer day in Berlin with Ramona and Nico. The two high school graduates, each with different starting points, are searching for their path, and all the possibilities and crises sometimes simply leave them frozen in place. The events of the day are elegantly interwoven with the questions that preoccupy the two. […] In particular, the lighthearted moments and the entertaining digressions in their conversations bring the film to life. Without ever being moralizing, the screenplay succeeds in taking a stand and touching the audience at decisive moments. The interweaving of the perspectives of the two main characters with that of Ramona’s little brother Noah is also very well done. This constellation also offers a point of connection for younger children and the opportunity to speak truths without coming across as didactic.”
(From the MDR Broadcasting Council jury’s statement on the award for “Best Screenplay” at the 2025 German Children’s Media Festival Goldener Spatz)
“A wonderful road movie—but on foot. A love letter to Berlin and a tribute to the shimmering summer and the time after graduation—What now? We drift along with the characters through the heat of Berlin, through the no-bullshit-at-all attitude, through wanting everything and nothing, through fears about the future and through (not) taking responsibility. A movie that captivates with its authenticity and feels like a real-life experience. Friendship – the future – everyday life in the big city of 2024 – a statement.”<\
(46th Max Ophüls Film Festival)
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“It’s their first summer after high school graduation, and they still have no plans for their future. The film conveys this special atmosphere very clearly and in a unique way. […] Above all, the wide-angle shots […], the many close-ups of faces, and the mix of slow and dynamic camerawork capture the attitude of just going with the flow and the heat of the day. The two girls use authentic language; their conversation topics are random, but they reach profound conclusions. […] Although the friends have such different personalities, they support each other. Time and again.”<\
(FBW Youth Film Jury)
From March 13 to 27, 2026, NULPEN (“Slackers”) was screened as part of the SCHOOL CINEMA WEEKS in Bremen, Bavaria, Saxony, and Brandenburg—where it once again encountered a strikingly open and interested young audience. After the film had already opened the Berlin School Cinema Weeks in November 2025 at the sold-out Kino Toni, this positive…
The film“Nulpen” by Sorina Gajewski was awarded an outstanding rating by the FBW Youth Film Jury (German name: BW-Jugend Filmjury). The young jurors gave it a clear recommendation and awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars – recommended for viewers aged 13 and over. The vote recognizes the intensive work of the entire film team and…
From 14 to 28 November 2025, the cinema in Berlin will be transformed into an extraordinary classroom: in over 30 venues, school classes will experience a diverse and educational program of more than 50 current feature films, animated films and documentaries in around 250 film screenings. The School Cinema Weeks are a nationwide project to…
The Leipzig Film Art Fair, the most important German industry gathering for cinema operators, distributors and arthouse industry professionals, will present the diversity of German and international cinema from 22 to 26 September 2025. At the Leipzig Film Art Fair 2025, UCM.ONE will present two new cinema films that are about to be released: the…
The feature film “Nulpen” (international title: “Slackers”) produced by the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) [production: Sabrina Holzapfel] and directed by Sorina Gajewski (screenplay and direction) has been acquired by UCM.ONE for theatrical distribution and world sales. The highly acclaimed coming-of-age comedy about two young women who embark on an aimless journey through…
