The international premiere of Erik de Bruyn's Nadine opens this year's competition at the 56th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg.

It is one of 17 features from up and coming directorsfrom17 countries.

de Bruyn's drama stars Halina Reijn as a single fortysomething career woman whose reproductive urges are ignited by an encounter with an ex-boyfriend.

Reijn, who recently appeared in Tamar van den Dop's Blind, also appeared in Verhoeven's Black Book.

Mannheim-Heidelberg is a homecoming for former actor de Bruyn whose first feature Wilde Mossels debuted at the festival's 'International Discovery' sidebar in 2001.