Simon Ritzler scooped second prize in the European Film School category at this year’s YDA. But he’not letting all that go to his head – instead he’s cracking on with his final year projects. And given the techinical inventiveness, ambition and old school charm of his winning film, we can’t wait to see what he gets up to next.

What have you been up to since the Young Director Awards?
Honestly I am totally focused for my last filmschool projects until the end of the year, so I had to refuse some job offers, but we will see next year what happens.

What was the inspiration behind your winning piece?
I wanted to do a Leni Riefenstahl caricature and try out different techniques.

How would you describe the creative process behind the film?
I wanted to do a skillful film. so we tried to create handmade unperfection. We decided to build almost everything as real models, shot most of it on real locations and put it together using matte paintings. We did a lot of lightening tests, because putting all of the different parts together (real shot footage, mattepaints, models) was very difficult.

When and why did you decide to become a director?
Not until I was 19 or 20. At first I was more interested in photography and graphic design, but later I fell in love with film making.

Which film/commercial do you wish you’d directed and why?
Difficult question. But in advertising a lot of the Nike/Adidas ads for the football world cup are in my all time favourite list. So it would be a dream to shot one someday. I just love football.

What are your hopes for the future?
I just hope for the opportunity to shot brave scripts. If that happens I am totally happy!