For the second year running, the Munich International Film Festival (MIFF, 28 June - 7 July, 2024) has secured six world premieres as part of its strategy to position the event as an attractive launchpad for international titles.
Luxembourg-born actress Desirée Nosbusch will be in Munich with her directorial debut Poison, starring Trine Dyrholm and Tim Roth.
The drama about an estranged couple who meet up nine years after their son’s death at the cemetery where he is buried is an adaptation of the Dutch dramatist Lot Vekemans’ much acclaimed 2009 play Gif (poison in Dutch). Poison is a co-production between Nosbusch’s Deal Productions, Dutch company Phanta Vision and Studio Hamburg UK.
Munich is also screening the world premiere of Gina, the second feature by Austria’s Ulrike Kofler, about three generations of a family as seen through the eyes of a nine-year old girl.
Kofler, who studied film editing at the Vienna Film Academy, also served as the editor on Film AG’s production of Marie Kreutzer’s costume drama Corsage which had its German premiere in Munich after its world premiere in Cannes in 2022.
A further world premiere is documentary Krishnamurti – The Revolution Of Silence, the feature debut of France’s Françoise Ferraton. The film uses archival footage to look at the life and teachings of the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. It is produced by Paris-based Mäya Films and is being sold by Cité Films, with Jupiter Films handling the French release.
In addition, there will be two world premieres of films by filmmakers from Canada, the focus country at this year’s CineCoPro conference being held during MIFF from July 1-4. Harley Chamandy will present his debut feature Allen Sunshine starring Vincent Leclerc, as a musician who retreats to a remote cabin to mourn a tragic loss until an unexpected encounter ends his isolation and gives him a fresh outlook on life.
Allen Sunshine was produced by Chantal Chamandy of New York-based Mother and Son Films with Laurent Allaire of Canada’s Chasseur Films, the film won the First Cut+ Works in Progress TRT award at Karlovy Vary’s Eastern Promises industry section last year.
Meanwhile, Toronto-based writer-director-producer Jamie Kastner will be in Munich with his latest documentary The Spoils which centres on a controversial exhibition staged at Düsseldorf’s City Museum in honour of Jewish art dealer Max Stern. The exhibition’s opening was delayed by three years due to discussions about the restitution of art looted by the Nazis.
Kastner’s previous feature documentaries have included such titles as There Are No Fakes, The Secret Disco Revolution and The Skyjacker’s Tale.
The sixth world premiere is Brazilian writer-director Davi Pretto’s third feature Continent which features actress-singer Olivia Torres as a woman returning to her village in a remote corner of Brazil. After several years away she is confronted by a mysterious secret regarding the structure of village life.
The co-production between Brazil’s Atelier W & Vulcana Cinema with France’s Dublin Films and Argentina’s Murillo Cine, is being handled internationally by Lights On. It has been presented at various international project forums including Ventana Sur, the Berlinale Co-Production Market and First Cut+ in Trieste.
Fresh leadership
MIFF’s 41st edition will be the first under the management of the festival director Christoph Gröner and co-artistic director Julia Weigl.
The nine-day event kicks off on Saturday, June 29 at the Gasteig HP8 arts centre with the world premiere of Natja Brunckhorst’s comedy Two To One.
US actress Jessica Lange will be in Munich on the first weekend to receive the festival’s CineMerit award. Lange will attend the international premiere of The Great Lillian Hall and also attend the opening of an exhibition of her work as a photographer at the German Theatre Museum on July 1.
A CineMerit award will also be presented to Kate Winslet on July 2 to coincide with the European premiere of Ellen Kuras’ Lee in which Winslet stars as the war photographer Lee Miller.
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