Future Frames Celebrates its Eleventh Year. Germany’s Simon Schneckenburger Wins Film Scholarship in Los Angeles

The 59th KVIFF hosted the eleventh edition of the Future Frames – Generation NEXT of European Cinema, a program dedicated to supporting graduates of European film schools. Organised in cooperation with European Film Promotion (EFP), this year’s edition featured ten emerging directors and their short films. Among them, Simon Schneckenburger from Germany was selected as the recipient of the 2025 Allwyn Residency film scholarship in Los Angeles. He impressed the jury with his short film Skin on Skin.

The scholarship is part of the Allwyn Residency, a month-long professional development program in Los Angeles run in partnership with leading talent agencies UTA and Range Media Partners. The initiative provides the selected filmmaker with exclusive access to the Hollywood film industry, including personal mentoring, shadowing opportunities, and specialised training. This is a rare chance to gain insight into the inner workings of global cinema from top professionals.

Launched in 2015, Future Frames has grown into a prestigious European platform for rising filmmakers. Each year, KVIFF Artistic Director Karel Och and his team select ten promising young talents – recent film school graduates nominated by their national film organizations (EFP members). Alongside public screenings of their work, participants take part in a curated program designed to promote their films and expand their professional networks.

Since its inception, Future Frames has supported over 100 directors on their path to international careers. Since 2023, Allwyn has played a key role in expanding the program’s reach and impact, particularly through its partnerships with UTA, Range Media Partners, and KVIFF.

About the winner of 2025 Allwyn Residency:

Simon Schneckenburger, a graduate of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in feature film directing, has already attracted industry attention. His first student film, Borzaya, was screened at numerous festivals and nominated for a Student Academy Award. His graduation film, Skin on Skin, received a Lola nomination and was shortlisted for several audience awards. He is currently working on both his first feature film and a new miniseries.

This year’s participants of the EFP FUTURE FRAMES 2025 program and their films:​

●      Belgium: Mila Ryngaert – Karaokiss (IAD – Institut des Arts de Diffusion)

●      Czech Republic: Terézia Halamová – Dog and Wolf (FAMU Prague)

●      Finland: Veera Lamminpää – Fish River Anthology (ELO Film School Finland / Aalto University – School of Arts, Design and Architecture)

●      Germany: Simon Schneckenburger – Skin on Skin (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg)

●      Ireland: Ruairí Bradley – We Beg To Differ (IADT – Institute of Art, Design and Technology)

●      Netherlands: Jetske Lieber – January (Netherlands Film Academy, NFA)

●      Poland: Dominik Mirecki – Son of Happiness (Warsaw Film School)

●      Slovakia: Jan Krevatin – Greek Apricots (Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb)

●      Spain: Nausica Serra – Dissection of an Incoherence in Crisis (ESCAC – Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya)

●      Switzerland: Sinan Taner – 1:10 (ZHdK – Zurich University of the Arts)