Achievements and Alumni

The Cutting Edge Talent Camp writes success stories!

We are proud that many of the projects that have taken part in the CETC have been shown at the Berlinale and other international film festivals and have been reviewed by the press, including Variety and ScreenInternational.

  • Success Stories 2020 - today
    • Alexander Koberidze´s second feature "What Do We See When We Look at the Sky" was selected for the main competition at the Berlinale 2021 and was picked up for sales by Cercamon. The German-Georgian co-production was produced by CETC participant Mariam Shatberashvili, who also won a First Steps award in 2022.
    • Henrika Kull´s movie »Bliss« screened in the Panorama section at the Berlinale 2021 and was picked up for international sales by Reel Suspects. In 2023, she returned with her next feature "Südsee" ("Salty Water") to the IFFMH.
    • Eva Knopf´s hybrid project "Kintsugi" was selected for Berlinale Talents 2021. Maximilian Haslberger, with his company Amerikafilm, is attached as a producer.
    • Producer Roxana Richters who participated in CETC and director Florian Hoffmann were invited to the 12th Les Arcs´ co-production village with their project "Time of the Monsters". The project was later selected for Alliance4Development at Locarno IFF, the co-production market for projects from Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland.
    • Sara Summa won the "FLOW Post Production Award” for her project »A Safe Place«, at the Co-production Forum of When East Meets West in 2021. The film is also produced by Roxana Richters. Also her WIP project "Arthur & Diana" was invited and won the Le Film Francais Award at Locarno Film Festival’s First Look in 2022 and had its world premiere at TIFF 2023. Sara Summa was then nominated to First Steps
    • Sophie Linnenbaum’s project "The Ordinaries" (previously called “Subtext”) was selected for the Work in Progress section at the Les Arcs Film Festival in 2021. The finished film was picked up by The Match Factory for international sales, had it’s world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2022, the German premiere at the Munich Filmfestival 2022 and was brought to cinemas by notsold and Port au Prince in spring 2023. The film has been awarded the First Steps Award for the Best Feature Film in 2022 and Producers Laura Klippel and Britta Strampe also received the VGF-Nachwuchsproduzent*innenpreis 2022.
    • Producers Roxana Richters, Maxi Haslberger, Julia Cöllen and Linus Günther have been selected for the prestigious EAVE producers workshop. Besides that, Julia Cöllen was also selected for the Alliance4Development co-production market at the Locarno Film Festival.
    • Monica Vanesa Tedja participated in the Southeast Asia Film Lab with her project "Dear Family" and was selected for Full Circle Lab in the Philippines, which is headed by Matthieu Darras, the former artistic director of Torino Film Lab.
    • Anna Roller’s "Dead Girls Dancing" was picked up for international sales by Totem Films and premiered at Tribeca and at Film fest Munich 2023. It was selected for the Focus Competition at Zürich Film Festival 2023.
    • Dieu Hao Do’s "Hao are you" was selected for the documentary competition at Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis 2023 and won a First Steps Award in 2023.
    • Hannes Hirsch’s "Drifter" premiered in the Panorama section at the Berlinale 2023 and closed the BFI’s LGBTQ+ festival Flare, followed by numerous festival appearances worldwide. TLA Releasing picked up the title for the US and UK markets (link). Hannes also won a First Steps Award in 2023.
    • Benjamin Pfohl’s "Jupiter" premiered at Zürich Film Festival 2023 and took home several awards at Hof FF 2023. (Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino, Kritikerpreis für Regie und Bild Kunst Förderpreis für das Szenenbild).
    • Willy Hans’ "Der Fleck" premiered at Locarno Film Festival 2024.
    • Lukas Nathrath participated in Locarno Alliance 4 Development with his project »Bourgeoise Paranoia«.
    • Alumnas Lisa Purtscher and Lotta Schmelzer produced 2024 “Babystar”, the feature film debut of director Joscha Bongard with Maja Bons in the leading role, in co-production with ZDF's Kleines Fernsehspiel.
    • Michael Fetter Nathansky’s "Alle die du bist" / "Every you, every me" won two awards at the WIP Europa section at SSIFF 2023. The film premiered afterwards at the Berlinale 2024, was picked up by Be For Films, an independent film sales company based in Brussels and had its theatrical release in May 2024, distributed by Port au Prince in Germany. The drama was produced by alumna Virginia Martin.
    • The documentary »Sisterqueens« by Clara Stella Hüneke premiered at Munich FF 2024 and was released in Germany cinemas. Alumna Franziska Gärtner produced the film, which was also honoured with the prestigious Grimme Prize 2025.
    • Sarah Miro Fischer’s "Schwesterherz / The Good Sister" (Producer: Janna Fodor) won 2 awards at the WIP Europa section at SSIFF 2024 and premiered at Berlinale Panorama 2025.
    • New project "Walk Down Memory Lane" by Denis Pavlovic, was presented at CPH:FORUM 2024. His debut "Manana Sol" premiered at DOK.fest Munich 2024.
    • "Another German Tank Story" by Jannis Alexander Kiefer and produced by alumni Lotte Ruf, premiered at Shanghai IFF 2024.
    • Zi Gao, Eva Knopf, Dieu Hao Do, Daria Wichmann, Steffen Goldkamp, Salka Tiziana, Laura Klippel, Sophie Linnenbaum, Anna-Sophia Richard, Nancy Camaldo, Aliaksei Paluyan, Berthold Wahjudi and Lukas Nathrath participated in Berlinale Talents.
    • Victoria Braunholz - CETC 2024 - won the Cinecopro Award at Munich HFF 2024 with the company Salaud Morisset.
    • Alissa Jung - CETC 2024 - premiered her first feature at Berlinale Generation 2025, where the film was awarded with the Prize of AG Kino Gilde – Cinema Vision 14plus.
    • Berthold Wahjudi - CETC 2024 - is selected to TFL Comedy Lab.

Alumni

  • 2024

    Maximilian Bungarten
    director, Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen München

    Alissa Jung
    director, Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München

    Sandin Puce
    director, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

    Berthold Wahjudi
    director, Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen München

    Victoria Braunholz
    producer, Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris

    Carlotta Cornehl
    producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Maritza Grass
    producer, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Clara Puhlmann
    producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Vincent von Tiedemann
    producer, Merz Akademie - Hochschule für Gestaltung, Kunst und Medien, Stuttgart

    Aria Azizi
    producer, Kunsthochschule Kassel

    Julian Rabus
    director and producer, Universität der Künste, Berlin

    Zora Rux
    director and producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Niklas Seehausen
    director, Kunsthochschule Kassel

  • 2023

    Lotte Ruf
    director and producer, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Daniel Ruprech
    director and producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Adriano Theill
    director and producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Florian Schmitz
    director and producer, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln

    Till Gombert
    director and producer, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln

    Clara Stella Hüneke
    director and producer, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris

    Franziska Gärtner
    director and producer, Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris

    Aliaksei Paluyan
    director, Kunsthochschule Kassel↵

    Nadine Schwitter
    director, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln↵

    Lukas Nathrath
    director, Hamburg Media School↵

    Salka Tiziana
    director, Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg↵

    Marisa Meier
    producer, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

    Sebastian Herbst
    producer, Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Vera Paulmann
    producer, Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris

    Lotta Schmelzer
    producer, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

  • 2022

    Margarita Amineva-Jester
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Hannes Hirsch
    director, Berlin University of Fine Arts

    Denis Pavlovic
    director and producer, Film Academy Baden-Württemberg

    Benjamin Pfohl
    director, University of Television and Film Munich

    Miriam Bliese
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Albi Fouché
    director, Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    Willy Hans
    director, Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts

    Janna Fodor
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Steffen Freckmann
    producer, Film Academy Baden-Württemberg

    Lukas Koll
    producer, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Virginia Martin
    producer, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

  • 2021

    Dieu Hao Do
    director, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Britta Strampe
    producer, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Sophie Linnenbaum
    director, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Laura Klippel
    producer, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Cecilia Trautvetter
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Lisa Roling
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Sara Summa
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Zi Gao
    director, Berlin University of Fine Arts

    Youdid Kahveci
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Alon Sahar
    director, Berlin University of the Arts

    Monica Vanesa Tedja
    director, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Maximilian Becht
    producer, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

    Julia Cöllen
    producer, Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts

    Daria Wichmann
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

  • 2020

    Henrika Kull
    director, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

    Zora Rux
    director and producer, Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

    Mariam Shatberatshvili
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Eva Villena Hoffmann
    director, Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    Tamer Jandali
    director, Academy of Media Arts Cologne

    Eva Knopf
    director, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

    Borbála Nagy
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Roxana Richters
    producer, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Florian Hoffmann
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

    Anna Roller
    director, University of Television and Film Munich

    Sara Summa
    director, German Film and Television Academy Berlin

  • Mentors

    Gabriele Brunnenmeyer
    Script mentor, project consultant and pitching coach – Germany

    Anna Ciennik
    Script consultant – France

    Titus Kreyenberg
    Founder and head of unafilm – Germany

  • Experts

    Ido Abram
    Director of SEE NL and Deputy Director of the Eye Filmmuseum – The Netherlands

    Maialen Beloki
    Deputy Director San Sebastian Film Festival – Spain

    Marjorie Bendeck
    Head of Connecting Cottbus – Germany

    Paolo Bertolin
    programmer Venice IFF - Italy

    Bettina Brokemper
    producer – Germany

    Anne Delseth
    Cannes, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs - France

    Nelleke Driessen
    Head of Sales and Acquisition Nine Film – The Netherlands

    Daniel Goroshko
    A-One Films – Baltics, Russia

    Alessandro Gropplero
    When East Meets West, EAVE/Ties that bind, Venice Critics Week – Italy

    Teresa Hoefert de Turégano
    Medienboard Berlin – Germany

    Alexis Hofmann
    Bac Films – France

    Mani Haghighi
    Director – Iran

    Stephan Holl
    Rapid Eye Movies – Germany

    Wouter Jansen
    Managing Director Square Eyes - Austria

    Nebojsa Jovanovic
    Project Manager Talents Sarajevo – Bosnia Herzegovina

    Sara Juričič
    IFFR / Cinemart – The Netherlands

    Nicolas Kaiser
    Memento Film Production – France

    Zuzsanna Király
    Flaneur Films – Germany

    Paz Lázaro
    Berlinale – Germany, Spain

    Tatiana Leite
    Producer – Brazil, France

    Marcin Luczaj
    New Europe Film Sales – Poland

    Vito Marchiano
    Sales Manager Rushlake Media – Germany

    Aranka Matits
    Featurette – The Netherlands

    Wendy Mitchell
    Screen International – UK

    Nikolas Montaldi
    Pro Hub Manager CineMart, IFF Rotterdam – The Netherlands

    Daniela Persico
    Locarno - Switzerland

    Julien Razafindranaly
    Films Boutique – Germany

    Malika Rabahallah
    Head of Funding MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg-Schleswig Holstein – Germany

    Elad Samorzik
    Jerusalem Film Festival – Israel

    Klaudia Smieja
    Producer – Poland

    Holger Stern
    ZDF/Arte – Germany

    Cécile Tollu-Polonowski
    producer The Match Factory – Germany

    Agathe Valentin
    Sales Consultant – France

    Meinolf Zurhorst
    Consultant - Germany

Impressionen