Brazilian director Boni Zanatta has won the fifth edition of MunichFilmUp!, the seven-month mentoring and residency programme for recent film-school graduates, with the feature project The Three Maries Parable. The awards ceremony took place at the Village Innovation of the Village International during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Zanatta received the €5,000 Kirch Foundation Award.
Organised by HFF München in cooperation with Tatino Films’ Pop Up Film Residency, and in partnership with the Festival of Future Storytellers and Filmfest München, MunichFilmUp! continues to support six emerging writer-directors annually as they develop their first feature-length projects following graduation from film school.
The international jury, composed of German commissioning editor Urte Fink, Ghanaian Berlinale programmer Jacqueline Nsiah, German producer Sol Bondy, Italian-Taiwanese producer Stefano Centini and Faroese producer Jón Hammer, selected Zanatta’s project as the recipient of the prize. In its statement, the jury mentioned: “We chose a work that we feel still holds significant potential for further growth and discovery. We hope this award will serve as an encouragement to forge creative partnerships beyond its own borders, as we believe such collaborations could greatly enrich and strengthen the project even further.”
Upon receiving the prize, Zanatta commented: “I am very happy to be part of this programme because my writing has received so much attention, care, energy and dedication from the entire team, and I am deeply grateful for that. My fellow participants are all incredible; they have become my friends, my family. I am here with a feature project that is a queer romantic comedy about two Catholic grannies who fall in love with each other in a small village in Brazil.”
The jury also awarded a Special Mention to Northern Irish filmmaker Oliver McGoldrick and his project Barnyard, which the jury “felt was the most fully realised and advanced project in the selection, with a clear artistic vision, a confident and compelling script, and an equally strong creative environment surrounding the filmmaker. We have no doubt that we will be seeing this movie on the big screen sooner, rather than later.”
Previous editions of MunichFilmUp! recognised emerging talents such as Cameroonian filmmaker Cyrielle Raingou, Chinese director Viv Li and Lebanese helmer Leila Basma. Last year’s award went to Cambodian-US filmmaker Chheangkea for the project Little Phnom Penh.
This year’s edition welcomed filmmakers from Brazil, France, Germany/Syria, India, Mexico and Northern Ireland, further underlining the programme’s international scope and growing reputation within the global film industry. Commenting on the initiative, Reinhard Scolik, of the Kirch Foundation, said: “The Kirch Foundation remains deeply committed to supporting culture, education and emerging creative talent. Through initiatives such as MunichFilmUp!, young filmmakers are given the opportunity to refine their projects, build international connections and gain valuable perspectives from across the film industry.”
He further noted that the 2026 edition marked MunichFilmUp!’s second consecutive year at Cannes, describing the programme’s growing international presence as “a meaningful step forward and a testament to its growing recognition and relevance within the global film landscape”.
Co-directed by Matthieu Darras and Elena Diesbach, and coordinated by programme co-managers Ivana Hucíková and Antonia Lindner, MunichFilmUp! provides a tailored development path for selected filmmakers, guiding them towards the completion of a first draft through mentorship, residencies and individualised creative support from acclaimed international film professionals.
MunichFilmUp! is an initiative presented by the HFF München, with Tatino’s Pop Up Film Residency as exclusive content partner, in collaboration with the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner/Cinéma de Demain. The initiative, which originated in Bavaria, is run in association with the Festival of Future Storytellers and Filmfest München, and with the exclusive financial support of the Kirch Foundation.
Here is the list of participants in the 2025-2026 edition of MunichFilmUp!:
In Heat, On Loop – Subarna Dash (India)
Tibu and the Animals – Natalia García Agraz (Mexico)
Barnyard – Oliver McGoldrick (Northern Ireland)
The Song of the Baba – Camille Tricaud (France)
The Three Maries Parable – Boni Zanatta (Brazil)
Patrick – Muschirf Shekh Zeyn (Germany/Syria)