Jury Documentary Film Competition for young people 2025
The documentary film award for young people is sponsored by BLLV, the bavarian association of teachers, and endowed with 1.100 euros in total.
all information about the award
Katharina Köster
scriptwriter and documentary filmmaker
Katharina Köster studied screenwriting and documentary film directing at the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München. As a student, she first trained in ballet and won the Grüner Lorbeer literature prize from the Eckenroth Foundation, for which she also worked as a writing coach. Today, Katharina Köster is a screenwriter who helped develop the successful new edition of the TV classic Neue Geschichten vom Pumuckl. Her documentary films LIEBER LEBEN and NACH DEM HAPPY END were shown at DOK.education and DOK.fest München. With JENSEITS VON SCHULD she won the Audience Award at DOK.fest München 2024. Katharina Köster lives and works in Munich and is the mother of three children.
Fritz Espenlaub
AI expert, podcaster and speaker at BR macht Schule
Fritz Espenlaub is an economist, tech journalist and host of Der KI-Podcast, the weekly ARD podcast on the AI revolution. Before his traineeship at Bayerischer Rundfunk, he worked at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. He writes and talks about how artificial intelligence is changing our society, economy and work for ARD and other media. He also holds workshops and lectures on AI, technology and podcasting as a speaker at BR macht Schule.
Elisabeth Wenk
Festival director Goldener Spatz – Deutsches Kinder Medien Festival
Elisabeth Wenk has been whirling around in the world of audiovisual media for some time now and is particularly committed to high-quality media for children and young people. As a film lover and cultural scientist, she loves everything that moves and moves us. Convinced of the cultural relevance of the audiovisual sector, she sees it as her task to give young people access to a wide range of media. As Managing Director, she heads the German Children's Media Foundation Goldener Spatz and is the director of the associated festival. Every year, young audiences and the industry are invited to get an overview of high-quality German-language film and television productions as well as digital offerings for children.
Mathis Welker
Secondary school teacher, Young BLLV
Mathis Welker is a newly qualified teacher at a Munich secondary school and a member of the board of Jungen BLLV (Young BLLV). He is particularly committed to a fairer education policy and sustainable development. As a cineaste, these topics are a regular part of his teaching in visual form. He has often been a guest at DOK.education and DOK.fest Munich and is now looking forward to visiting the documentary film competition for young people from a different perspective - as part of the DOK.education jury.
Aimée Vollmer
student, Junior Film-Assistent
Aimée Vollmer is a student from Munich. She started experimenting with her own YouTube videos at a young age and developed a passion for the medium of film. Her films have been nominated and awarded prizes at youth film festivals, including winning the 2022 DOK.education documentary film competition for young people with her film IMAGINÄRER FREUND. Aimée Vollmer has completed the Junior-Assistenz-Film training programme and is part of the up-and-coming-Drehbuchklasse screenwriting class. She is currently involved in independent film projects and youth film festivals, such as the 47th Filmtage Bayerischer Schulen, as a moderator and jury member. At the same time, Aimée is developing her own film projects to further her creative vision.
