William Sehested Høeg started at the National Film School of Denmark in 2019. Prior to his time at the school, he had directed several award-winning short films. In recent years, he has explored the nuances of comedy through his film productions at the school, exploring how it can be driven by suspense and carry dramatic weight. Through his characters, he exposes himself and creates contemporary portraits of the toxic group dynamics that we can all relate to. William Sehested Høeg impressed the jury with his film The Complaint ("Sammen Er Du Mere"), a tragicomedy from the corporate world, where interpersonal relationships and friendships compete with ambition, and where being promoted is the greatest goal of human existence.
Since 2015, the Future Frames programme has enabled European directors to launch their careers in the film industry. Each year, ten promising directors are invited to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to showcase their films, receive tailored mentorship and training, and build relationships with people established in the industry. Now in its tenth year, Future Frames has supported over one hundred aspiring European directors to share their films and learn from leading voices in the film industry.
Last year Allwyn became a partner to Future Frames, in close collaboration with talent agency UTA, management company Range Media Partners and KVIFF. Allwyn’s partnership expanded the programme to allow one director to attend a month-long scholarship in Los Angeles. As part of the scholarship, William Sehested Høeg will learn from, and work with, some of the best talent in the film industry through a dedicated program of mentoring, shadowing, and training.
William Sehested Høeg said: “It is a true privilege to receive this year’s scholarship, and I am deeply grateful to KVIFF, EFP and Allwyn for this incredible opportunity. I have learnt so much from taking part in Future Frames, from established figures in the film industry and from my fellow participants. Sharing our films and taking inspiration from each other’s unique styles and perspectives has been very special. I cannot wait to build on this invaluable learning experience in Los Angeles."
New research commissioned by Allwyn revealed nearly half (48%) of US and UK respondents think young people face barriers to entry when taking a job in the creative industries, rising to 63% for 16–24-year-olds. Perceived barriers to entry include the need for connections or industry contacts (39%), and a lack of funding for academic qualifications and training (33%). Allwyn’s support enables the Future Frames programme to directly address these barriers by offering networking and support to young film directors.
The 2024 scholarship recipient was announced at the Future Frames Ceremony, launched by Allwyn last year as part of its partnership with Future Frames, celebrating the work of 2024 Future Frames participants and the tenth anniversary of the programme.
Speaking at the Future Frames Ceremony, Pavel Turek, Allwyn's Chief Officer of Global Brand, Corporate Communication, and CSR, said: “On behalf of the entire Allwyn family, I would like to say a huge congratulations to each of our ten esteemed programme participants and to William Sehested Høeg for receiving this year’s Future Frames scholarship. Film tells powerful stories and unites people from around the world to connect with and enjoy them. That is why we are so proud to be supporting the Future Frames programme, to help the stars of tomorrow reach their full potential and share their stories with the world.”
Kryštof Mucha, Executive Director of the KVIFF, said: “I would like to offer my many congratulations to William Sehested Høeg for their impressive work [film], and well-deserved scholarship. Each year Future Frames demonstrates the unique and impactful talent on display from across European cinema. I look forward to seeing the what the future holds for each of our participants, and hope that they all take with them an enriching experience from taking part at this year’s festival.”
Markéta Šantrochová, President of EFP, commented: “We are delighted to announce William Sehested Høeg as the 2024 scholarship recipient, once again extending the opportunities of the Future Frames programme overseas. They have displayed an incredible gift for film making, and I am sure their time in Los Angeles will help expand their creative abilities and future horizons.”
John McGrath, Independent Film Agent at United Talent Agency, added: “It takes a lot of willingness, commitment and support for a film to be made. Ensuring aspiring directors have the network to take their vision to the screen is crucial to getting new stories to reach the screen, and that’s what makes programmes like Future Frames so valuable.”
Kevin Hussey, Range Media Partners, said: “Championing emerging talent in European cinema is deeply important, and we are delighted to once again be a part of the Future Frames programme to help young directors hone their skills and showcase their work internationally”.
The full list of 2024 Future Frames participants and their films are:
Katarína Gramatová (Slovak Republic) — “A Good Mind Grows in Thorny Places”
Emanuela Muzzupappa (Italy) — “The Love Servant”
Anna Maria Jóakimsdóttir Hutri (Iceland) — “Who Stands Up for Alvar”
Hilke Rönnfeldt (Germany) — “A Study of Empathy”
Marthe Peters (Belgium/Flanders) — “Baldilocks”
William Sehested Høeg (Denmark) — “The Complaint”
Lucía G. Romero (Spain) — “Cura Sana”
Bogdan Alecsandru (Romania) — “If I Float”
Marie-Magdalena Kochová (Czech Republic) — “3 MWh”
Matthias Krepp (Austria) – “Strangers in the Night”
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About Allwyn
Allwyn is a leading multi-national lottery operator. Allwyn builds better lotteries that return more to good causes by focusing on innovation, technology, efficiency and safety across a growing casual gaming entertainment portfolio. The lottery-first approach of focusing on affordable recreational play has earned Allwyn leading market positions with trusted brands across Europe in Austria, Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States (Illinois).
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About Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious such festival in Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the oldest A-list film festivals (i.e., non-specialized festivals with a competition for feature-length fiction films), a category it shares with the festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, San Sebastian, Montreal, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Among filmmakers, buyers, distributors, sales agents, and journalists, KVIFF is considered to be the most important event in all of Central and Eastern Europe.
About Future Frames
Since it started in 2015, Future Frames presents ten outstanding emerging directors from Europe each year at the Karlovy Vary IFF. Recommended by the European Film Promotion member organisations and selected by a team at Karlovy Vary IFF, the ten outstanding film students and graduates from schools throughout Europe take part in a tailor made programme - containing training, networking and promotion to kick-start their international film careers. The young professionals also take part in an exclusive masterclass with an internationally renowned filmmaker and have industry meetings with festival programmers, world sales agents, producers, film funders and other important industry members.
EFP FUTURE FRAMES - Generation NEXT of European Cinema, in collaboration with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), is made possible thanks to the support of Creative Europe - the MEDIA Programme of the European Union and Allwyn, a leading multi-national lottery operator, as well as the participating national film promotion institutes, EFP’s member organisations: Austrian Films, Cinecittà (Italy), Czech Film Center, Danish Film Institute, Flanders Image (Belgium), German Films, Icelandic Film Centre, Romanian Film Development, Slovak Film Institute, Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales / ICAA (Spain), The main media partner is Variety, with Cineuropa and Fred Film Radio as additional media partners.