Open to film students
& fresh graduates
From all over the world
FOR
6 PROMISING
YOUNG
FILMMAKERS
MunichFilmUp!25/26
Submissions open from
June 10th to August 1st 2025
THE
PARTICIPANTS 2024/25
MunichFilmUp! 2024/25 participants
GOALS OF THE
PROGRAMME
The programme kicks off at Munich’s Festival of Future Storytellers, includes a personalized 3-week Pop Up Film Residency, and culminates in Cannes with one-on-one industry meetings and the Kirch Foundation Award Ceremony. Along the way, participants benefit from expert-led online mentoring and workshops designed to refine their vision and craft.
The prestigious Kirch Foundation Award – €5,000 towards project development is awarded by an international jury during the Cannes Film Festival. All travel, visa, and accommodation costs are covered.
KIRCH FOUNDATION AWARD
WINNER
Chheangkea
Statement of the jury
KIRCH FOUNDATION AWARD
MUNICHFILMUP!2025
The Jury was impressed by the diversity and quality of the projects selected in this edition of the MunichFilmUp! After deliberation we have decided to award the Kirch Foundation Award 2025 of 5 000€ for the project: “Little Phnom Penh”, by Chheangkea – a heartwarming take on a family and generational drama that spans over decades and cultures, from Cambodia to the United States. It’s a sensitive and well-balanced approach to complex themes such as family, immigration and choice, which are particularly important in the current times. This is one of the projects we would really like to see and wish to congratulate all participants for their dedication and achievements.
THE
Jury
HELEN BELTRAME-LINNÉ
Helen Beltrame-Linné is a Brazilian screenwriter and script consultant, currently working on her first feature film as a director. After working as a corporate lawyer, newspaper editor and director of the Bergman Center Foundation in Sweden, Helen has been dedicating herself to storytelling in Brazil, Europe and SouthEast Asia, participating in initiatives such as the Torino Film Lab, the Full Circle Lab and the Pop Up Film Residency. She first collaborated with the Munich Film Up! program as a host of filmmaker Ashmita Guha Neogi and her project Cold Ashes Can Cause Forest Fires in 2023.
ALEM ANG
After being a school teacher for ten years, Alemberg Ang shifted into a career of film producing. His filmmaking is shaped by his passion for socio-civic issues, and Philippine arts and literature. Having traveled extensively to festivals in Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Busan, his films seek to give cultural minorities a voice in world cinema. Working with filmmakers mostly on their first and second features, his filmography includes 3 films at this year’s Cannes: Chie Hayakawa’s Renoir, Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romero’s Agapito and Adnan Al Rajeev’s Ali. Ang has participated at the Rotterdam Lab (2012), Berlinale Talents (2013, 2021), Tribeca Film Institute Network (2019), Locarno’s Open Doors (2019), La Fabrique Cinema du Monde (2021), IDFA Producers Connection (2021) and EAVE Producers Workshop (2022).
NICOLE GERHARDS
Nicole Gerhards studied Theatre and French in Paris as well as Producing at the DFFB in Berlin. In 2005 she founded NiKo Film and has since then produced 32 successful and award winning films. In 2012 Nicole was selected ‘Producer on the Move’ for Germany and also took part in the Producers Lab Toronto and the prestigious Inside Pictures Programme. In 2019, Nicole Gerhards and Karsten Stöter (Rohfilm Factory) drafted the INDEPENDENT COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE FILM PRODUCTION through avoidance, reduction and compensation with proactive measures, which has so far been signed by more than 50 members of the German producers’ association. Nicole is a member of EAVE, ACE, Inside Pictures and of the German and the European Film Academy. She has been a jury member at various renowned film festivals and works as an expert for Creative Europe, Locarno Open Doors, Ciclic and the DFFB.
GIOVANNI POMPILI
Giovanni has a background in filmmaking and media studies. After his degree in visual communication and filmmaking experiences, he took over as head of Kino Produzioni aiming to develop a new generation of emerging talents often in co-production with international companies. His productions won the European Film Award – Discovery, Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival. He is Head of Studies of the international workshop Green Film Lab and is a member of Ace, Eave, Berlinale Talents, Eurodoc and TFL Alumni.
THE
PARTICIPANTS 24/25
Aizada Amangeldy
Aizada is a dramaturgist and director from Kyrgyzstan. She holds a master’s degree in Dramaturgy and completed an advanced apprenticeship in Dramaturgy at VGIK in Moscow, where she had the honor of being the last student of Cannes award-winning screenwriter Yuri Arabov. Throughout her career, Aizada has worked on several acclaimed TV series and documentaries, which were broadcast on the country’s main television channel. She worked as a Senior Script Editor at the National Filmstudio Kyrgyzfilm named after T.Okeev. Aizada is currently developing a screenplay trilogy based on her life experiences, exploring themes of love and Islam, titled 18th Birthday, Husband, and Wife.
18th Birthday
When 17-year-old Daria is caught with drugs at her elite private girls school in Bishkek, she must navigate bullying and addiction to escape expulsion before her graduation and 18th birthday.
Maximilian Bungarten
Maximilian Bungarten (b. 1993 in Mechernich NRW, Germany) studied production, media economics and documentary film directing at the University of Television and Film Munich. In 2019, he attended Université Paris VIII as a DAAD scholar. He co-founded Benedetta Films with Felix Herrmann and Camille Tricaud. Their documentary Eleven Tomorrows premiered at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. His short film The Age of Innocence was nominated for Best Queer Short at Clermont-Ferrand 2023.
Bumper Cars
Summer in the suburbs: teenager Casper drifts aimlessly, experiments with drugs, gets involved with Jessica and meets unknown men at a highway rest stop. But an encounter on a bumper car ride forces him to get to the core of the origin of his restlessness.
Chheangkea
Chheangkea is a Phnom Penh-born filmmaker, currently based in Brooklyn, NY. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in architecture from MIT and his MFA in filmmaking at the NYU Tisch Graduate Film Program, focusing on writing-directing and cinematography. Through his films, Chheangkea seeks to showcase the complexities and colors of queer and Cambodian stories.
Little Phnom Penh
Spanning two ever-changing decades, from post-Khmer Rouge Phnom Penh to early 2000s California, a Cambodian woman grapples with her identity, family, and love amidst profound cultural and historical upheavals.
Cristina Iliescu
Nothing Sadder than a Limo
An assistant director, two contestants, 26 surveillance cameras, and 18 working hours a day add up to one Romanian reality show filmed on an island in Southern Asia.
Jakub Jirásek
Jakub Jirásek is a writer, director and musician. Born in Prague in 1993, raised in Switzerland, currently based in Prague. He got a Master degree in Film directing at FAMU in Prague, spent one semester of Erasmus at Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3. His fiction short Don’t Be a Pussy was premiered at Premiers Plans d’Angers, won a few prizes at festivals including YDA 2020 and was shortlisted for BAFTA Student Award in 2020.
The Delivery
A couple’s “cool parent” plan to supervise their teenage daughter’s first time trying marijuana spirals into chaos when the food delivery guy turns out to be her classmate, turning their afternoon into a cringe-fest of privilege, parenting fails, and secondhand embarrassment.
Hanna Stock
Hanna, born in 1995 in Bad Aibling, began her career with internships at production companies before starting vocational training in media design at Bavaria Film in 2015. There, she worked across various departments of fictional film production and directed her own short films. Since 2018, she has been studying screenwriting at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF), while also working as a camera assistant. In addition to her writing, Hanna has gained experience in the documentary field, having directed short documentaries.
Delulu
In a small Bavarian village, 15-year-old Ina’s desperate need for affection leads her to mistake her best friend’s brother’s exploitation for love, blurring the lines of consent and triggering a series of events that devastate her friendships and unravel her grasp on reality.
THE
MENTORS
ANNA CIENNIK
Participant: MAXIMILIAN BUNGARTEN
Project: Bumper Cars
Both French and Polish, Anna Ciennik is a multilingual screenplay consultant and scriptwriter. She recently co-wrote Erige Sehiri’s sophomore film produced by Maneki films, and is writing Déni Pitsaev’s debut, produced by Dublin films and Nabis filmgroup.
As a script consultant, her credits include Clara Sola by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén (Directors’ Fortnight 2021), Amparo by Simón Mesa Soto (Cannes Critics’ Week 2021) or Julie keeps quiet by Leonardo Van Dijl (Cannes Critics’ Week 2024). She works for labs such as Locarno Residency, Cannes Residency, Open Doors, ESP, TFL ScriptLab, among others.
Before jumping fully into script development Anna had a career in the industry as line producer and post-production supervisor and she worked at Les Arcs European Film Festival as manager of the European Industry events. Between 2017 and 2021, she curated five editions of its co-production markets. She works on a regular basis for co-production markets, production or sales companies, and film commissions as a reader or pitching coach.
Anna is a member of the Collectif 5050, the SCA, and a bit of a wine and language geek.
ANTONIA GIRARDI
Participant: HANNA STOCK
Project: Delulu
Antonia Girardi is a Chilean programmer and screenwriter born in 1987. She holds a master’s degree in Latin American Cultural Studies and is an alumna of SPEAP, the Experimental Program in Arts and Politics founded by Bruno Latour. She has contributed to collective books such as El novísimo cine chileno (Uqbar, 2011) and Film on the Faultline(Intellect Ltd, 2015). Since 2019, she has been the Director of FIDOCS, the Santiago International Documentary Film Festival, one of the leading documentary film festivals in Latin America. She first joined the festival as a programmer in 2015.
Filmography as Co-Writer:
Currently – Impunidad, directed by Felipe Gálvez (Feature Film, in development)
Project selected for the Ikusmira Berriak residency.
2023 – Los Colonos, directed by Felipe Gálvez (Feature Film)
The film premiered in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival 2023, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. Chile’s official submission for the Academy Awards.
2018 – Rapaz, directed by Felipe Gálvez (Short Film)
Premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week 2018.
LEONARDO STAGLIANÒ
Participant: JAKUB JIRÁSEK
Project: The Delivery
Leonardo Staglianò wrote a film, two plays, three books on writing and several articles and short
stories published in newspapers and magazines. He’s been working in the field of story development for a dozen years, for independent producers, film funds, TV channels and streaming companies. He’s a Biennale College, Torino Film Lab, Berlinale Talent Campus, Scuola Holden and Tisch alumnus.
SELCEN ERGUN
Participant: AIZADA AMANGELDY
Project: 18th Birthday
Selcen Ergun is a director, screenwriter, and producer based in Istanbul. A Berlinale Talents (2018) and Medienboard Nipkow Artist-in-Residency (2019) alumna, she is also a member of the European Film Academy. She holds a master’s degree in Design as well as in Directing & Screenwriting. Her debut feature, Snow and the Bear, was supported by Eurimages and premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and won over 15 international awards, including the New Directors Award at the 66th San Francisco International Film Festival. She has directed award-winning short films, interactive projects, and commercials for leading brands. Ergun has also mentored, consulted, and served on juries for platforms such as CinéCollective, Meetings on the Bridge, and M2 Film Lab.
UNA GUNJAK
Participant: CRISTINA ILIESCU
Project: Nothing Sadder than a Limo
Sarajevo born, Paris based writer, director and editor, Una Gunjak studied in Italy and then in the UK, at the NFTS, where she graduated from the Editing department. Her short film ‘The Chicken’ premiered at the Cannes’ Critics Week in 2014, won the European Film Award for Best Short Film and competed at Sundance.
‘Excursion’, Una’s first feature premiered at Locarno Film Festival 2023, taking home the Special Mention Award. It went on to screen at more than 50 festivals so far, winning awards for Best Script at FAF Belgrade and Best Actress at Marrakech Film Festival. ‘Excursion’ has secured theatrical release in many countries across Europe and the Mediterranean.
Una is an editing consultant for the First Cut Lab and the Dok Incubator, and is currently developing her sophomore feature “How Melissa Blew a Fuse”, supported by the Hubert Bals
Fund and Europe Creative Media.
The
SCHEDULE
10th June - 1st August 2025
Applications are open
1st August - 1st September 2025
Time for the selection committee
9th and 10th September 2025
November 2025
December 2025
February - March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
Cannes
All six participants travel to Cannes for the Kirch Foundation Award Ceremony and to present their projects in one-to-one meetings to professionals from the international film industry.
APPLICATION
PACKAGE
APPLICATION FORM
A document to download here. It will help our teams to know you better!
TREATMENT
for feature film.
LOOK & FEEL
your project.
CURRICULUM VITAE
SHORT FILM
INTRODUCTION VIDEO
declaration of consent
To download here!
Q&A – MUNICH FILM UP! IN
10 QUESTIONS
#1. Am I required to develop my film project in English?
#2. Can I submit more than one project per lab?
#3. Can I submit a short/mid-length project?
Each filmmaker may submit a feature-length project.
#4. Can I apply with an adaptation or documentary project?
Yes for both. We accept feature film projects only, but are open to hybrid formats.
However for an adaptation, you should be able to demonstrate proof of securing the adaptation rights for your project .
#5. What if the project has two screenwriters ? Can a second writer or producer take part?
MunichFilmUp! will cover the expenses of the main writer/filmmaker (as detailed in the participant obligations).
A second writer/filmmaker may join the sessions at their own expense and share the same room assigned to the main writer/filmmaker.
#6. What is the attendance fee for the programme?
The expenses for travel to Munich and local accommodation for both Festival for Future Storytellers and Cannes Film Festival, for the mentoring and networking sessions, as well as for the Pop Up Film residencies are covered by the programme.
#7. If I am accepted, how and when will I be notified?
Online interviews with shortlisted applicants will take place on the 9th and 10th September. Notifications of acceptance will be sent out shortly after the interviews.
#9. Do I need to submit a copy of my graduation with my application?
Yes, we need to check the date of your graduation from film school. Candidates are eligible for up to three years after graduation.
#8. Can I apply with a project that has been submitted or supported elsewhere?
Yes.
#10. What video codec should I use for my application video?
We do not download video files. Please upload it online and send us the link.
READY TO
SUBMIT MY PROJECT
WANT TO
CONTACT US?
If you have any questions about your application, you can send us an email
at mfu@hff-muc.de.
Our teams will answer you as soon as possible!
TEAM
DIRECTORS
Diesbach
Co-director
Elena Diesbach, Co-director: Elena Diesbach heads the International Office of the HFF Munich, where she plans and implements international study and exchange programs together with professors of the university and (inter)national film industry experts, and advises and supports HFF students in their international activities. In 2018, she founded the HFF Summer School, which since then has stood for a high-quality, English-language advanced and continuing education program at the HFF Munich.
Darras
Co-director
Previously, he founded & directed the European Network NISI MASA, and later on co-founded and was the artistic director of the TorinoFilmLab. A writer for the film magazine Positif, Matthieu Darras has been working as festival programmer, notably for the Cannes Critics’ Week and the San Sebastian Film Festival (since 2010). He co-founded First Cut Lab in 2015 and serves as Director.
TEAM
HOSTS
All of them are to discover on its website. Let’s go!
THE
Sponsor
The Kirch Foundation
Dr. Reinhard Scolik | credit: ©BR/Markus Konvalin
The non-profit Kirch Foundation was established in 1996 by Dr. Leo Kirch, media entrepreneur and owner of one of Germany’s leading media groups, the Kirch Group. The Kirch Foundation supports projects in the fields of film, television, and visual arts, provides media art scholarships, and supports young filmmakers in their first career steps.