Winner: Outstanding Feature Film, German Film Awards

Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch, fabulous) is a dedicated, idealistic young teacher in her first job at a German middle school. Her relaxed rapport with her seventh-grade students is put under stress when a series of thefts occur at the school, and a staff investigation leads to accusations and mistrust among outraged parents, opinionated colleagues, and angry students. Caught in the middle of these complex dynamics, Carla tries to mediate—but the more she tries to do everything right, the more everything goes wrong. A masterpiece of ever-ratcheting tension, the tautly scripted The Teachers Lounge “might be the most nerve-shredding thriller of the year” (Mashable).