Spotlighting new talent: Future Frames Starts

Spotlighting new talent: Future Frames – Generation NEXT of European Cinema returns to KVIFF for its eleventh year. Today, the ten selected participants – promising students and recent graduates from European film schools – begin presenting their short films as part of the Future Frames showcase.

Two of the participants, Jetske Lieber and Dominik Mirecki, have successfully transitioned from acting to directing: Lieber’s film January, a contemplative story about separation, relationships, and self-discovery. While Mirecki’s Son of Happiness follows a single father helping his son with Down Syndrome fulfill his dream of becoming an actor.

Other award-winning directors include Simon Schneckenburger (Germany), whose short film Skin on Skin contrasts the harsh, cold reality of a meat factory with a tender queer love story. Sinan Taner’s 1:10 (Switzerland) examines the causes and consequences of violence through a conflict between two primary school children. Veera Lamminpää (Finland) is showing Fish River Anthology, a philosophical puppet animation that reflects on the act of queuing at a fish counter.

Irish director Ruairí Bradley has already garnered more than 13 awards for his documentary, We Beg to Differ, which explores Northern Ireland’s underground car culture amid a mental health crisis. Among its accolades are an Oscar-qualifying win at the Galway Film Fleadh and nominations from the London Critics’ Circle and the Irish Film and Television Awards. The film is currently nominated for the 2026 European Film Awards.

Themes of relationships, fear, memory, and the self-empowerment of younger generations are central to Karaokiss by Mila Ryngaert and Dog and Wolf by Terézia Halamová. Terézia’s short is also the foundation for her debut feature film, selected as a KVIFF Talent in 2022 and set for release in 2026. Greek Apricots, a short drama written and directed by Jan Krevatin, portrays a couple brought together by their shared Macedonian roots on a quiet summer night. 

Spanish filmmaker Nausica Serra is interested in new perspectives on directing. In her film essay, Dissection of an Incoherence in Crisis she examines the impossibility of accepting the superiority of others in two everyday family scenes. For her observations, she gives the actors plenty of space for improvisation.

Organised by KVIFF in collaboration with European Film Promotion, the program supports talented European directors as they take the first steps into the international film industry. For the third consecutive year, the program is expanding its reach thanks to a partnership with lottery and entertainment company Allwyn, and the cooperation with U.S. talent agencies UTA and Range Media Partners. These industry leaders offer participants valuable mentorship and the chance to build essential professional connections.

The Allwyn Future Frames Lounge, a dedicated creative and networking space at Hotel Thermal, is once again open to this year’s participants. The lounge will host tailored training sessions and one-on-one meetings with representatives from UTA and Range Media Partners, who will offer direct feedback. At the end of the program, one selected filmmaker will receive a residency in Los Angeles sponsored by Allwyn.

This year’s industry mentor is acclaimed Georgian director Dea Kulumbegašvili, who is also presenting her latest film, April, at the festival.