First Cut+ Munich 2026 edition introduces 6 films-in-progress at Munich International Film Festival
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Lightness and Weight | Director: Erec Brehmer | Producers: Maverick Film
Following the launch of First Cut+ Munich, TATINO and the Munich International Film Festival, one of Europe’s leading summertime film festivals, are proud to unveil the 6 films in post-production to be selected to the first edition of First Cut+ Munich. The films are drawn from TATINO's flagship initiatives: First Cut Lab, Munich Film Up! from the Pop Up Film Residency program. The creative teams of producers and directors will benefit from a series of online consultations and guidance on the marketing strategies of their films during the month of June 2026. They will also attend online talks, lectures and case studies in the field of film promotion.
Following a carefully curated, hand-picked selection process, six feature films are promoted and benefit from lectures and individual mentoring consultations on promotion, marketing, PR & press, festivals, and sales strategy from various film industry consultants.
First Cut+ Munich 2026 Line-Up
Among this edition’s selection, Half of the projects will be debut feature films. One of them will be a hybrid documentary feature film. We are proud to host the projects from Cameroon, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ivory Coast, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
I’m Coming for You
Director: Cyrielle Raingou
Producers: Je Capture Ma Réalité (Cameroon), Artisans du Film (France), Seera Films (Germany) On Est Ensemble (Ivory Coast)
Fiction feature film | 1st
About the film: The fiction debut of Cameroonian filmmaker Cyrielle Raingou, whose documentary Le Spectre de Boko Haram won the Tiger Award at IFF Rotterdam in 2023. I Am Coming For You was developed during the inaugural edition of Munich Film Up!, where it received the Kirch Foundation Award.
Lightness and Weight
Director: Erec Brehmer
Producers: Maverick Film (Germany)
Fiction feature film | 2nd
About the film: Directed by German filmmaker Erec Brehmer, a graduate of the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF), the film stars Austrian actor Thomas Schubert (European Film Award nomination for Afire by Christian Petzold) alongside Swiss actress Melodie Simina.
Lost Years
Director: Aron Horváth Botka
Producers: Temporama (Slovenia), Set Sail Films (Serbia)
Fiction feature film | 1st
About the film: Set in the mid-1990s, this road movie through the Hungarian countryside marks the debut feature of Áron Horváth Botka. The film is a Slovenian–Serbian co-production.
My Letter to B
Director: Helen Beltrame-Linné
Producers: Cinemascopio (Brazil), O Par (Brazil)
Hybrid documentary feature film | 1st
About the film: Debut feature by Brazilian filmmaker Helen Beltrame-Linné, produced by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Emilie Lesclaux through Cinemascopio - their latest production, The Secret Agent, received four Academy Award nominations in 2026.
Sants
Director: Mikel Gurrea
Producers: Nocturna Pictures (Spain), Kino Produzioni (Italy)
Fiction feature film | 2nd
About the film: Spanish–Italian co-production, Sants is the second feature by Mikel Gurrea, following Suro, which won the FIPRESCI Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2022. The film stars Vicky Luengo, who recently appeared in two Cannes 2026 competition titles: Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beloved.
Wild Horse in the Rotten West
Directors: Mina Mileva & Vesela Kazakova
Producers: Activist38 (Bulgaria) , MK38 (United Kingdom), Loco Films (France)
Fiction feature film
About the film: Set in a London college, this Bulgarian–UK co-production is the latest film by directing duo Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova, whose previous feature Women Do Cry premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2021.
The program is managed by producer Natalia Libet, and welcomes returning advisors: Cătălin Cristuțiu (Editor), Christina Pelekani (Marketing & Distribution Consultant - Endorphin Agency), Boris Pugnet (Marketing Consultant), Katarzyna Siniarska (Head of Sales - New Europe Film Sales), Joanna Solecka (Film Marketing Strategist & Awards Consultant - Alphapanda).
The lectures online are conducted by Michael Arnon (PR Expert - Wolf Consultants), Wendy Mitchell (Film Journalist & Festival Consultant), and Katarzyna Siniarska (Head of Sales - New Europe Film Sales).
The creative teams will arrive in Munich on Monday 29 June 2026. They will attend the marketing master talk given by marketing strategist Joanna Solecka at the Industry Days, and take part in a curated networking event. The showcase of selected projects will take place the next day, on Tuesday 30 June 2026, followed by one-to-one meetings.
Walker+Worm First Cut+ Award
Thanks to the sponsorship of Walker+Worm Film, €2,000 cash prize of the Walker+Worm First Cut+ Award aims at further supporting and highlighting one of the projects showcased at Munich. The award will be given at the beginning of the Cine CoPro Pitch on Wednesday 1 July, at 11:00 at the Amerikahaus Theatersaal.
First Cut+ alumni films
Here are a few examples amongst the 96 feature films that have participated in First Cut+:
THE ELEPHANTS AND THE FOG by Abinash Bikram ShahJury Prize, Un Certain Regard, Festival de Cannes 2026
THE ARCTIC CIRCLE OF LUST by Markku Heikinnen
CPH:DOX 2026
OUR SECRET by Grace Passô
Berlinale Perspectives 2026
EXPLANATION TO EVERYTHING by Gábor Reisz
Orizzonti Best Film Award, Venice 2023
CHARCOAL by Carolina Markowicz
Toronto Platform 2022
THE MAIDEN by Graham Foy
Cinema of The Future Award, Venice 2022
A PIECE OF SKY by Michael Koch
Silver Bear Mention, Berlinale 2022
107 MOTHERS by Peter Kerekes
Grand Prix, Les Arcs 2021
IMMACULATE by Monica Stan & George Chiper-Lillemark
Lion of the Future, Venice 2021
About TATINO
First Cut+ is part of TATINO's broader ecosystem, which annually delivers labs and residencies for over 300 filmmakers annually from 50 countries through the flagship programs First Cut Lab, Full Circle Lab, and Pop Up Film Residency, and via its global partnership with Netflix. More information on TATINO.
About Munich International Film Festival
The Munich International Film Festival (FILMFEST MÜNCHEN) is the number-one platform for German filmmaking and a key venue for discovering what’s new in international cinema. At the festival’s Industry Days, German and international filmmakers, producers, and experts from the industry gather each year to share their ideas.
In a variety of panel discussions, talks, and workshops, the Industry Days address current developments in the film and television industry and explore what the future may hold. Additionally, the CineCoPro Conference brings together German producers and producers from a different region each time. The Industry Beer Garden offers a casual setting for networking, finding inspiration, and forging new collaborations. In 2026, the Industry Days will be held during the Munich International Film Festival from June 26 to July 5. For more information, see FILMFEST MÜNCHEN.
