Filmfest Bremen 2026: First Jury Prize in the “Klappe!” short film competition goes to Lukas Brennecke

On March 28, the award ceremony for the “Klappe!” short film competition was once again held as part of Filmfest Bremen. This year, the First Jury Prize went to Lukas Brennecke, a former master’s student at ZeMKI and the University of Bremen. In this context, Lukas Brennecke gave us a closer look at the creative process behind the short film in a brief interview.

About Lukas Brennecke

From 2016 to 2020, Lukas Brennecke earned his bachelor’s degree in “Communication and Media Studies” at the University of Bremen with a minor in “Philosophy,” and finally completed his studies from 2020 to 2025 with a master’s degree in “Media Culture and Globalization.”

He is a young filmmaker from the area around Bremen who has gained experience in directing, production, screenwriting, production management, and post-production through his involvement in numerous music videos, student short films, workshops, and commercial TV productions.

In addition, Lukas Brennecke is politically active in public relations for “die Grüne” Party in Bremen, where he is particularly committed to queer politics.

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Filmfest Bremen – “Klappe!” Short Film Competition 2026

The “Klappe!” short film competition is open to filmmakers of all experience levels. The challenge: Within just 48 hours, participants must conceive, shoot, and complete a short film with a maximum length of three minutes. The goal is to creatively incorporate a given theme and a mandatory prop. In 2026, the theme was “On Thin Ice,” and the prop to be incorporated was a compass.

Further information about the “Klappe!” competition can be found here.

“Me Tu Comprandas?” Impresses the Jury

With their short film “Me Tu Comprandas?,” Lukas Brennecke and Mirko Bertermann secured the first jury prize for the second year in a row.

“Me Tu Comprandas?” is Lukas Brennecke’s fifth submission to the 48-hour short film competition “Klappe!” and Mirko Bertermann’s third.
Following “NÄCHSTER” (2022, 1st Jury Prize, 1 Audience Award) and “FREEDOM DAY” (2023)—both of which were solo projects by Lukas Brennecke—as well as “Alles für Nichts” (2024) and “K(l)ein Problem” (2025, 1st Jury Prize), which Mirko and Lukas had already created together, the two have teamed up for this short film for a third time. All scenes for the given theme “On Thin Ice” were shot within a single day, allowing the post-production team to complete everything in a relaxed manner by Sunday afternoon.

Click here to watch the short film.

Lukas Brennecke commenting on his short film “Me Tu Comprandas?”

Question: What is the meaning behind the title?

Answer: The title references a scene in the film where the AI and the protagonist argue over the poorly translated question “Did you understand me?” and a small power struggle between the two becomes apparent. Since this brief exchange already foreshadows the film’s central conflict between the AI and the protagonist, the line served as the ideal film title without giving too much away.

Question: How did you come up with the idea of a short film about artificial intelligence based on the motto “On Thin Ice”?

Answer: We found it particularly intriguing to relate the motto “On Thin Ice” to fragile power dynamics that can tip over very quickly. At first, the protagonist feels he holds the power over the AI (the “Compass Assistant”), since he sees it as nothing more than a technical tool meant to serve a purpose: if it becomes defiant, it’s skating on thin ice. Later, this dynamic reverses as he gradually realizes how much autonomy over his life he has handed over to the AI.

Question: Even though your short film this year is a comedy, it still held a serious undertone while watching it. Is there a message or meaning you definitely wanted to convey to the audience?

Answer: “Me Tu Comprandas?” makes heavy use of humor and playful elements, which are of course meant to entertain, but it also has a more serious undertone. After shooting a pure comedy last year, we found it exciting to show a slight progression this time from lighthearted comedy to a more serious, almost dystopian message. Of course, the film still builds to a climax and is primarily meant to entertain in its short three-minute runtime, but it also aims to address the pervasive presence of artificial intelligence in many people’s daily lives and the associated dependence on it as something quite dangerous.