Participants 2023 - Munich Film Up!

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PARTICIPANTS 23/24

The 6 promising young filmmakers are offered a 8-month journey that starts & ends all together in Munich (at the Film School Fest Munich at first & at the Filmfest München at the end), with individual 3-week-long Pop Up Film Residencies in between.

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Romy Bou Nasr

Born in Beirut in 1999, Romy pursued filmmaking at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. During her 4 years of college, she was able to experiment and direct short films including ‘Apnea’, her graduation film that was screened as part of Medfilm Festival’s ‘Glances from the future’ section in 2021 and won Best Lebanese Student Short Film at the 2022 Beirut International Women Film Festival. She is currently developing the script of her first feature film ‘Clinical’ and looking to develop her storytelling and directing skills.

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Leonardo Martinelli

Filmmaker from Brazil. In 2021, his film Fantasma Neon won the Golden Leopard for Best International Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival. His films have been selected at festivals worldwide, including Toronto, San Sebastián, BFI London and others. He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and is currently developing his first feature, which was selected for the ALCA and Locarno Residency.

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Inès Sieulle

Inès Sieulle is a French filmmaker based in Paris. Through a choir of life paths, her films aim to shed sensitive light on the contemporary social dynamics that surround her. The sets are walls that unfold in confusion, sadness, joy and love.

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Berthold Wahjudi

Born in Hamburg in 1993, Berthold studied Arts & Sciences at University College London. In 2016 he joined the directing programme at the University of Television and Film Munich. His short SUMMER HIT screened at many festivals including SXSW and won prizes at Palm Springs Shortfest and Premiers Plans amongst others. It has over 7 million hits online on the Short Of The Week Youtube channel. His new short BABY BROTHER is currently in post-production. As a screenwriter and director Berthold has worked on various TV projects and is developing his first feature film.

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Leila Basma

Leila is a Lebanese filmmaker and photographer with an MFA in Film Directing from FAMU. Her second-year short documentary The Adam Basma Project was short-listed for the 48th annual Student Oscars after its festival tour, and her graduation film Sea Salt premiered at the 80th International Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti Official Short Film Competition. Leila is currently developing various film and photography projects.

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Gretta Sammalniemi

Gretta-Garoliina originates from Finland, South Lapland, where she graduated as a Bachelor in communication. She then continued her studies at the HFF München and the Icelandic Film school. Her interest can be caught especially with the weight of social and political themes and questions about identity, injected with some dry humour. Gretta-Garoliina is currently writing her first feature film “This is normal” which dives into the topics of womanhood, self-esteem and the madness of it all.