Michel Franco to mentor participants of this year's Future Frames program

European Film Promotion and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival are delighted to offer an extended industry programme for the ten participants selected for EFP FUTURE FRAMES. This year’s mentor, award-winning Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco, will hold an exclusive master class on 2 July. Thanks to the renewed support of the multinational lottery operator Allwyn and collaboration with American talent agency UTA and Range Media Partners, the programme provides a comprehensive experience for the emerging filmmakers.

After two intensive online meeting and pitching days, the group of emerging talents will be offered an extensive on-site industry programme from 30 June to 2 July at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This includes exclusive meetings with KVIFF’s programming team and individual meetings with four representatives from UTA and Range Media Partners, who will be on hand to provide participants with important feedback and advice. They will also subsequently select one FUTURE FRAMES director for a special scholarship and study trip to Los Angeles.

In an exclusive master class, award-winning Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco will focus on one of his very successful early films, After Lucia, and discuss it with the ten emerging directors. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the top prize. The very low-budget film was also selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards.

Michel Franco is an award-winning filmmaker who was born in 1979 in Mexico City. The films he has written, directed, and produced have helped put Mexican cinema in the global spotlight. His most recent feature film, Memory, which premiered in competition at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and earned Peter Sarsgaard the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, will be screened at this year’s KVIFF. His other films include Sundown (shown in competition at the 2021 Venice Film Festival), New Order (Grand Jury Prize, 2020 Venice Film Festival), April’s Daughters (Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, 2017 Cannes Film Festival), Chronic (Best Screenplay, 2015 Cannes Film Festival), and After Lucia (Prix Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Film Festival). He has also produced films under his Teorema banner, including Lorenzo Vigas’s From Afar (Golden Lion, 2015 Venice Film Festival) and David Zonana’s first two features, Mano de Obra (Official Selection, 2019 Toronto International Film Festival) and Heroic (Official Selection, 2023 Sundance Film Festival).

The 2024 Future Frames Selection

Austria: Matthias Krepp | Strangers in the Night 

Belgium: Marthe Peters | Baldilocks

Czech Republic: Marie-Magdalena Kochová | 3 MWh 

Denmark: William Sehested Høeg | The Complaint

Germany: Hilke Rönnfeldt | A Study of Empathy

Iceland: Anna Maria Joakimsdottir-Hutri | Who Stands Up for Alvar  

Italy: Emanuela Muzzupappa | Love’s Servant

Romania: Bogdan Alecsandru | If I Float  

Slovakia: Katarína Gramátová | A Good Mind Grows in Thorny Places

Spain: Lucía G. Romero | Cura Sana

About Allwyn

As a partner of KVIFF, Allwyn, a leading multi-national lottery operator, is proud to be a partner of the Future Frames programme to elevate and empower emerging directorial talent from across Europe. Allwyn will host the Allwyn Future Frames Lounge on site at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and bring the ten emerging European talents together with industry leaders, including overseas talent agency UTA and management company Range Media Partners. Allwyn’s celebration evening will commemorate the work of all ten selected directors. In addition, one director from the group will be awarded a residency stay in Hollywood. 

“Allwyn is proud to again be supporting the Future Frames programme during its tenth anniversary. The calibre of this year’s selection speaks to the incredible directing talent that exists in Europe, and we look forward to helping one young director propel their career internationally with a residency stay in Hollywood in partnership with UTA and Range Media Partners. With each director having the chance to meet and work with one another throughout the festival, alongside leading peers in the film industry, it is a programme where everyone wins.” Pavel Turek, Allwyn's Chief Officer of Global Brand, Corporate Communication, and CSR.