Great success for Schwandorf's young talent: double award at the youth film festival!

Great success for Schwandorf's young talent: double award at the youth film festival!

The 19th Upper Palatinate Youth Film Festival took place on November 22, 2025 at the Cineplex Neumarkt and impressed with a colorful range of film contributions from young talent from the region. A total of 42 submissions were evaluated, with the 24 best films presented in four different film blocks. The festival goal was to create a platform for aspiring filmmakers and to honor their works. The networking of talented filmmakers should not be neglected either.

The highlight of the event was the awards ceremony, at which two outstanding films from the Schwandorf district were honored. The youth film award in the age category 12 to 16 years went to the German/art project group of class 6d at the Johann-Michael-Fischer-Gymnasium Burglengenfeld for their nine-minute experimental film “Fiebertraum(a)”. This fascinated with creative techniques, including stop motion and green screen, as well as hand-painted backgrounds.

Deserved awards

The award was presented by the cultural officer of the Upper Palatinate district. The two teachers Verena Müller and Andrea Schuller actively supported the students in implementing the project in the 2023/24 school year. The jury praised the creativity, teamwork and innovative mix of live film, animation and handmade image elements. In addition to the honor, the young filmmakers received prize money of 250 euros and a nomination certificate for the Bavarian Children and Youth Film Festival 2026 in Augsburg, presented by Marie Kätzlmeier from the JFF - Institute for Media Education.

The audience award, also worth 250 euros, went to the documentary “On the Trail of the Death Marches” by the “Vimadoha” film group at the OTH Amberg-Weiden. This film documents the remembrance of the death marches of concentration camp prisoners in the market town of Bruck and focuses on the voices of contemporary witnesses. The project also includes a book and a memorial stone and shows once again how film can combine art and remembrance work.

A celebration for the youth

The Upper Palatinate Youth Film Festival, which covered a wide range of topics such as friendship, cohesion and social issues, attracted numerous children, teenagers and young adults. The free entry offer made it easy to attend the event. The organizers of the festival did everything they could to offer the filmmakers a first-class platform. The positive response suggests that such events continue to be justified.

The next festival, the Bavarian Children's and Youth Film Festival 2026, is already in sight and, as always, promises an exciting program for the region's film enthusiasts. The organizers have a good hand when they motivate young people to remain active in film art in the future!