Open to film students
& fresh graduates
From all over the world
FOR
6 PROMISING
YOUNG
FILMMAKERS
MunichFilmUp!25/26
Submissions are now closed!
THE
PARTICIPANTS 2025/26
MunichFilmUp! 2025/26 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.
THE
PARTICIPANTS 25/26
The 6 promising young filmmakers are offered a 7-month journey that starts in Munich (at the Festival of Future Storytellers) and ends with the Kirch Foundation Award Ceremony at the Festival de Cannes with individual 3-week-long Pop Up Film Residencies in between.
NATALIA GARCÍA AGRAZ
Natalia García Agraz graduated with honors from Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica. She directed the short film “The last romantic” which earned a 2019 student Oscar nomination, a Silver Ariel awards nomination and participated in more than 60 international festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Palm Springs Short Fest and Morelia Film Festival. As a screenwriter, she has collaborated on feature films and series for Netflix, Amazon and HBO. She recently directed two short films “A Revolution” 2023 winner of the FOCINE fund which screened at Morelia, Bogoshorts, Milano Fest and Brno16 among others and “Passarinho” 2024 which screened at Tribeca, Torino, Short Shorts Asia and won Silver Hugo at Chicago Film Festival, Best Film at Festival of Future Storytellers Munich and special mention to best director at Palm Springs Short Fest. It also received a nomination to the BAFTA student awards and Silver Ariel awards 2025. Currently she is working on her first feature film.
Tibu and the Animals
SUBARNA DASH
Subarna Dash is an Indian animation filmmaker and an alumna of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata. Recognised as a Berlinale Talent in 2025, her films have screened at festivals worldwide, including the Berlinale, TIFF, SXSW, and Annecy. Her work explores themes of the body, identity, and isolation with a touch of wit and humor.
In Heat, On Loop
OLIVER MCGOLDRICK
Barnyard
‘Barnyard’ Barry, a former local legend turned 30 year old wastrel- recovers from an untimely stroke at age 29 in his Northern Irish seaside village. When his childhood friends return home, a weekend of nostalgia veers towards chaos when tainted drugs threaten lives and force Barry to reckon with his position in the world.
CAMILLE TRICAUD
The Song of the Baba
Berlin 1943, a forced labor camp. People from all over Europe have been forced to work for the German arms industry. Despite all being oppressed, the forced laborers reproduce a harsh hierarchical system among themselves. When a French and a Soviet fall in love, they face rejection from all sides. But over time, as their relationship becomes more accepted by others, it starts to fall apart from within.
BONI ZANATTA
Boni Zanatta is a screenwriter and educator from São Paulo, Brazil. Her graduate thesis in cinema studies, short movie Non Spontaneous Combustion, written and directed by her, has been multi-awarded at film festivals throughout the world. She is currently a screenwriting teacher at Instituto Criar of inclusive cinema education. Boni is a former animator at Globo, Brazil’s main TV channel, and an experienced producer in documentary series and films. She believes in the life-changing power of cinema and aims, with her work, to celebrate the persistent joy of LGBT+ brazilian narratives
The Three Maries Parable
The reputation of Maria de Fátima as the most conservative elder of Ararinha do Sul, her small town in Brazil, is put at risk when she falls in love with Maria de Lourdes, a rebellious grandma who helps her fix a miracle-working Virgin Mary statue.
MUSCHIRF SHEKH ZEYN
Patrick
A refugee boy named Ali is adopted by a seemingly perfect family. But right after his arrival, their biological son Patrick suddenly disappears, and Ali immediately falls under suspicion. To regain the trust of his new parents, he must help bring Patrick back – yet the questions surrounding Patrick’s disappearance keep piling up, and the price is far greater than he could ever have imagined
THE
MENTORS
MunichFilmUp! supports the filmmakers throughout their feature-length films’ creative process, offering them an individual development plan specially designed to meet their individual needs.
For the duration of the Lab, each filmmaker will be coached by its artistic director, along with top-notch international industry mentors, to continuously challenge the creative decisions made during the screenwriting and development process; and to repeatedly apply new approaches and aspects to the involved characters and dramatic structure.
Nada Riyadh
Mentor of: SUBARNA DASH
Project: In Heat, On Loop
Nada Riyadh is an Egyptian filmmaker and cultural manager whose cinematic work explores the intersections of body politics, gender, and collective creation. Her films engage with how bodies move, resist, and claim space within social and political structures. Her feature documentary The Brink of Dreams (co-directed and produced with Ayman El Amir) premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week 2024 and won L’OEil d’Or for Best Documentary. Alongside her filmmaking practice, Nada consults and mentors emerging filmmakers, bringing a gender-sensitive, embodied, and collaborative perspective to cinematic development and storytelling.
Shaza Moharam
Mentor of: BONI ZANATTA
Project: The Three Maries Parable
Shaza Moharam is an Egyptian script consultant, actor, and filmmaker whose work bridges storytelling and performance. She brings a character-focused lens to her story editing practice. She has consulted for the Doha Film Institute, the Jordan Film Fund, the Red Sea Film Fund, and Image Nation. As an actor, her work has screened at major international festivals including TIFF, the Berlinale, and Cannes, with her role in The Trap recognized among the standout performances of its year. Her directorial debut, Ahlam, received the Best Documentary Award from the Cuban Institute of Cinematic Arts and Industry.
She is a TorinoFilmLab Story Editing Lab alumna and Berlinale Talent and holds an MA in Screenwriting from Carlos III University of Madrid.
Marcelo Caetano
Mentor of: OLIVER MCGOLDRICK
Project: Barnyard
Marcelo Caetano directed the feature film Baby (2024), which was awarded at the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, won Best Film at both the Rio and Biarritz Festivals, and was commercially distributed in over 20 countries. In 2017, he released Body Electric (Corpo Elétrico), which won Best Film from APCA (São Paulo Association of Art Critics) and the Maguey Award at the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Marcelo also served as casting director for the acclaimed films Bacurau (2019) and Aquarius (2016), both directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. He was assistant director on Neon Bull (2015), directed by Gabriel Mascaro, and Tattoo (2013), directed by Hilton Lacerda. Most recently, he worked as casting consultant on Secret Agent (2025), which received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Casting.
Jonathan Goldman
Mentor of: MUSCHIRF SHEKH ZEYN
Project: Patrick
Jon Goldman is a French American screenwriter, director and producer based in Paris, France. An alumnus of Film Independent’s Screenwriting and Directing Labs and a former Nicholl Fellowship Finalist, Jon has mentored talents through Global Media Makers, the Red Sea Film Festival and Netflix Incubator France. From horror (Other, 2025) to animation (Girl in the Clouds, 2026) to comedy (The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, 2019) to drama (Diplomacy, 2010), Jon has contributed to a wide range of films on international and cross-cultural themes.
Satyanshu Singh
Mentor of: CAMILLE TRICAUD
Project: The Song of the Baba
Satyanshu Singh is an award-winning Indian filmmaker, writer, and educator. He served as lead writer, director, and co-showrunner of the Netflix series Black Warrant, named by Variety among the year’s top ten global series and recipient of multiple Asian Creative Academy Awards.
Originally trained as a medical doctor, he transitioned to cinema with Udaan (Cannes, 2010), later directing the National Award winning short Tamaash, the feature Chintu Ka Birthday, and the series Jehanabad (SonyLiv).
Satyanshu has led international mentorships and masterclasses in Germany, Thailand, the Netherlands, and the Philippines. With over 14 years of teaching experience, he is a guest faculty member at leading Indian film schools, and many of his students now work on globally recognised films and series.
Co-author of ‘Idea Se Parde Tak’, a widely used Hindi-language book on screenwriting. He continues to write daily, direct selectively, and identify foremost as a lifelong student and enthusiast of cinema.
Biswapati Sarkar
Mentor of: NATALIA GARCÍA AGRAZ
Project: Tibu and the Animals
Biswapati Sarkar is an Indian screenwriter, producer and showrunner leading original film and series development at Posham Pa Pictures, focused on building contemporary, genre-driven stories. Trained as a mathematics post-graduate from IIT Kharagpur, he brings a strong sense of structure and craft to his storytelling. His recent work includes the acclaimed Netflix series Kaala Paani and Maamla Legal Hai, and features such as Logout, Jaadugar, and Fighter. Earlier in his career, he contributed to defining India’s digital wave with landmark titles including Permanent Roommates and TVF Pitchers. He specialises in genre storytelling that balances strong commercial appeal with a distinct creative voice and cultural authenticity. He’s currently developing a comedy series for Amazon Prime India.
The
SCHEDULE
23rd June - 1st August 2025
Applications are open
1st August - 1st September 2025
Time for the selection committee
9th and 10th September 2025
14th - 18th November 2025
December 2025
23rd February - 15th March 2026
April 2026
16th - 20th 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.
WANT TO
CONTACT US?
If you have any questions about your application, you can send us an email
at munichfilmup@gmail.com.
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.