Seven NRW-funded films at the Rotterdam International Film Festival

• Film- und Medienstiftung NRW a partner again at the CineMart for co-productions
• The Netherlands' largest film festival from January 21 to February 1, 2015

The film region of North Rhine-Westphalia is represented at the 44th Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR) with seven NRW-funded films. The Netherlands' largest film festival is being held this year from January 21 to February 1, 2015. Two NRW-backed films –  „Two Shots Fired“ („Dos Disparos“) by Martín Rejtman and „A Blast“ by Syllas Tzoumerkas – are screening in the first edition of the „Limelight“ sidebar. The new section within the festival presents aspiring film-makers of contemporary cinema. In addition, „The Chambermaid Lynn“ („Das Zimmermädchen Lynn“) by Ingo Haeb and „Beloved Sisters“ („Die geliebten Schwestern“) by Dominik Graf are being shown in „Spectrum“, „El 5 de Tallares“ by Adrián Biniez in „Bright Future“, „The Lies of the Victors“ („Die Lügen der Sieger“) by Christoph Hochhäusler at „IFFR+“ as well as „A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence“ by Roy Andersson in „Signals: Really? Really“. At the same time, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is a partner of CineMart, the platform for co-productions Plattform. This is where film-makers present their ideas and projects to representatives of the international film industry and find financing partners.

The films in detail:

„Two Shots Fired“ („Dos Disparos“) is an international co-production between Argentina’s Ruda Cine, Waterland (NL), Jirafa (CL) and Cologne’s Pandora Filmproduktion. Director Martín Rejtman focuses here on the 16-year-old Mariano, who, following a spontaneous impulse, fires two shots at himself with a gun he’d found. While his dog Lago is scared away by the shots and doesn’t come back, Mariano survives and has to endure a mysterious double intonation when playing his flute as the only consequence of his deed. Rejtman depicts a family break-up and the creation of totally new groupings around Mariano laconically and with his own particular sense of humour. The production was backed by the Filmstiftung NRW with 50,000 Euros and is screening in the „Limelight“ section.

Yesterday, Maria was a caring mother, loving wife and responsible daughter. Tonight, once the sun has set, everything that was ever important to her will be in tatters. „A Blast“ by Syllas Tzoumerkas is an international co-production by Cologne’s unafilm with Homemade Films (GR), Graal (GR), Bastide Films (NL),  PRPL (NL) and Mamoko (D). The lead is taken by Angeliki Papoulia („Dog tooth“). The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW backed the drama with 40,000 Euros, additional funding came from Filmförderung Hamburg-Schleswig-Holstein. The film is also being shown in the „Limelight“ sidebar in Rotterdam. RealFiction will release the film in German cinemas on April 16, 2015.

In „The Chambermaid Lynn“ („Das Zimmermädchen Lynn“), Ingo Haeb tells the story of the alienated and isolated Lynn and her unusual way of obtaining some human contact. A tragicomic fable about intimacy and its distortion in our time. The co-production by Sutor Kolonko Filmproduktion, 58FILME (participating broadcaster: WDR) and Pandora Filmproduktion (Köln) was supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW with 280,000 Euros (production funding) and with 20,000 Euros (screenplay), with other funding coming from Nordmedia and Creative Europe MEDIA. The film is screening in „Spectrum“.

Two sisters fight during one summer for the man they love: „Beloved Sisters“ („Die geliebten Schwestern“) tells the story of the young Friedrich Schiller, played by Florian Stetter, and his relationship to the sisters Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herzsprung) and Charlotte Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius). Director Dominik Graf filmed his own screenplay in part at locations near Münster. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW backed the film, which screened in the Berlinale’s Competition in 2014, with 750,000 Euros. Other funders were MDM, FFF Bayern as well as the FFA and the DFFF. The co-production between Bavaria Film, Wega Film (Vienna),WS Filmproduktion, Kiddinx Filmproduction and Senator Film was made with participation from ARD, BR, Degeto and Arte under the coordination of WDR. The film is showing in „Spectrum“ at Rotterdam.

Fabian Groys is a renowned journalist. When a hot story goes off the boil because the informer has got cold feet, Groys turns his attention to a toxic waste scandal. There are increasing signs that the two stories are connected – this awakes Groys' suspicion: are they really coincidences or is he being manipulated? Christoph Hochhäusler’s thriller „The Lies of the Victors“ („Die Lügen der Sieger“) shows Florian David Fitz, Lilith Stangenberg and Horst Kotterbar in the leads. The film was produced by Heimatfilm and MACT Productions (FR) in co-production with WDR and participation from Arte. The Film- und Medienstiftung backed the film with 850,000 Euros (production support) and 70,000 Euros (preproduction support). Other funders are Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the DFFF and the FFA. The film will screen in „IFFR+“ at Rotterdam.

„A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence“ by Roy Andersson is the story of two world-weary men who travel around selling party novelties, and also provides insight into a chaotic world of past, present and future, and between reality and fantasy; a world of dreams and fantasies. Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom, Sture Olsson und Ingvar Olsson can be seen in the leads. The film was made as a co-production by Roy Andersson Filmproduktion AB (Sweden) with Essential Filmproduktion (Berlin), Société Parisienne de Production (France) and 4 1/2 Fiksjon AS (Norway), with ZDF/ARTE, Arte France Cinéma and Sveriges Television as participating broadcasters. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW backed the production with 100,000 Euros. The film has had a successful run in German cinemas since the beginning of January and can be seen in Rotterdam in „Signals: Really? Really.“.

„El 5 de Tallares“ by Adrián Biniez tells the story of Patón, a 35-year-old footballer from the Argentinian Fourth League, who is the final year of his career. Patón comes of age for a second time and has to create a future for himself outside of the football pitch. Esteban Lamothe and Julieta Zylberberg can be seen in the lead roles of this drama. „El 5 de Tallares“ was co-produced by Mutante Cine (UY), Le Petit Film (FR), Topkapi (NL), Pandora Filmproduktion (D) and Morrocha (AR), with backing from broadcasters ZDF and Arte. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW supported the film with 50,000 Euros, additional funding coming from MEDIA Development (35,000 Euros). The third Pandora production in Rotterdam can be seen in „Bright Future“.

The complete programme of the Rotterdam film festival can be found at the festival’s website (www.iffr.com).