Young Talents at Young Horizons Industry 2025

Eleven talented students and recent graduates from Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania participate in the Young Talents programme this year.

The Young Talents programme was created to promote up-and-coming filmmakers and introduce them to the international film industry representatives present at the Young Horizons Industry forum.

If you are coming to the Young Horizons Industry forum (29.09–1.10.2025), we strongly encourage you to book a meeting with our Young Talents participants – get to know them before the rest of the world finds out about them!

Meet the participants in the Young Talents programme!

• Aneta Paulíny, FAMU, Department of Animation, The Czech Republic
• Emma Slobodová, FAMU, Department of Production, The Czech Republic
• Ujjawal Verma, Prague Film Institute, Directing and Screenwriting, The Czech Republic
• Arnit Likaj, Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Film & Media Arts, Germany
• Julia Skala, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Animationsinstitut, Germany
• Katerina Tzortzatou, Film School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Zsombor Papp, University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, Hungary
• Tomasz Czajkowski, Łódź Film School, Faculty of Film Art Organisation, Film and Television Production Management, Poland
• Paweł Golonko, University of Gdańsk, Production of Audiovisual Forms; Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School, Directing, Poland
• Maja Olczak, Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Department of Sculpture, Poland
• Livia Maria Sîrbu, I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, Romania

What awaits the participants?

The Young Talents programme starts on 29 September before the opening of the forum.

During Young Horizons Industry, Young Talents participants will take part in a tailor-made sessions:

Masterclass: Self Awareness & Professional Presence

Hosted by Agata Darlasi, creative producer & coach, Ray Films, Greece

This hands-on masterclass focuses on building self-awareness as the foundation for developing your personal brand and learning how to confidently present yourself and your project in the professional environment of film markets.

Close-Up Talk: The Power Of Self-Publishing – Taking Creativity Into Your Own Hands

Speaker: Shelly Gertan, founder of Erlance Studios, Austria (former Producers LINK participant)

Self-publishing platforms like Webtoon, Tapas, and GlobalComix are reshaping the creative landscape, empowering artists and writers to build their own audience, grow their IPs, and take full control of their stories. This session explores the pros and cons of these platforms, tips for success in self-publishing, strategies for monetization and marketing, and how to avoid burnout while staying consistent. Featuring a deep-dive case study of Reyn, a project that grew from novel to webcomic to an animated feature film in development, this talk is a hands-on look at how creators are taking creativity into their own hands—and turning it into long-term opportunity.

Close-Up Talk: International Markets for Young Audience Content

Host: Monika Łuczyk, PR and Marketing Specialist, Poland
Speaker: Hanna Wereszczyńska, Assistant Programmer, TAURON Young Horizons Festival, Poland

This session offers an inside look at navigating international film markets with a focus on young audience content. Through shared experiences and practical insights, it explores how emerging professionals can effectively enter the industry, make the most of market opportunities, and develop audience-first strategies for long-term impact.

Our talents will use the knowledge from the sessions to network and promote themselves among Young Horizons Industry guests.

All the Young Talents participants will attend the Young Horizons Industry 3-day programme and stay in Warsaw until 1 October.

Young Talents partners

Programme is organised in partnership with The University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest, Hungary, Animation Production Days, Germany, Zlín Film Festival, The Czech Republic, Olympia Film Festival, Greece, MOIN Film Fund, Germany, The Romanian Filmmakers Union, Romania, KFF Industry, Poland, Polish Animation Producers Association (SPPA), Poland.