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Film und Medien Stiftung NRW➝News➝Press➝Six Filmstiftung-backed films at the 48th International Film Festival Rotterdam

Six Filmstiftung-backed films at the 48th International Film Festival Rotterdam

  • Film- und Medienstiftung NRW again a partner at the CineMart for co-productions
  • Largest film festival in the Netherlands from 23 January to 3 February, 2019

This year sees six Filmstiftung-backed films being invited to the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Elmar Imanov’s „End of Season“ has its world premiere in the Bright Future sidebar which is also showing „The Innocent“ by Simon Jaquemet. In addition, the experimental documentary „Souvenir“ by Miriam Gossing and Lina Sieckmann has been invited to screen as a world premiere in the Voices programme. „High Life“ by Claire Denis with Robert Pattinson, which had its world premiere in Toronto, can be seen in Deep Focus. „In My Room“ by Ulrich Köhler, which was first shown to audiences in Cannes, is screening in Rotterdam in the Perspectives. „Rojo“ by Benjamin Naishtat is being shown in Limelight.

At the same time, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is a partner of the CineMart, the platform for co-productions, and the Rotterdam Lab. The 36th CineMart is being held during the 48th International Film Festival Rotterdam from 27 – 30 January, 2019. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is supporting the CineMart as a long-standing partner. This is also the venue for the Rotterdam Lab, a five-day workshop for young producers from all over world to be able to expand their network and gather experience of being at an international festival and film market. Lino Rettinger of Lichtblick Film und Fernsehproduktion and Gizem Acarla of Various Films will be taking part this year from North Rhine-Westphalia.

The largest film festival in the Netherlands is taking place this year from 23 January to 3 February. The complete programme can be found on the festival’s website (www.iffr.com).

About the films in detail:

Bright Future: „End of Season“
„End of Season“ by  Elmar Imanov is a drama by the Cologne-based production company Color of May (Imanov & Blondiau Filmproduktion). Shooting took place in Azerbaijan, with the local actors Rasim Jafarov, Züliyye Gurbanova and Mir-Movsum Mirzazde in the leads. The screenplay was written by the Student Oscar-winning director Elmar Imanov together with Anar Imanov. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW supported the film’s postproduction with 29,500 Euros. Synopsis: End of Season tells the story of a small Azerbaijani family who is shaken to the core by an incident.

Bright Future: „The Innocent“
„The Innocent“ by Simon Jaquemet (screenplay and direction) is a production of 8horses (CHE) in co-production with Cologne’s augenschein Filmproduktion in association with  broadcasters ZDF and Arte. Judith Hofmann, Christian Kaiser and Thomas Schüpbach can be seen in the leading roles. The Filmstiftung NRW backed the production with 250,000 Euros. FilmKinoText is handling the theatrical distribution. Synopsis:  Ruth’s life is torn between her desire to maintain her strictly-ordered Christian family life and the destructive attraction to her former fiancé who is now a free man again after more than 20 years in prison.

Voices: „Souvenir“
The experimental documentary by Miriam Gossing and Lina Sieckmann was produced by Schalten und Walten, Elbe Stevens Film (NL) and Coin Film. BKM, The Netherlands Film Fund, FFHSH, Filmwerkstatt Kiel and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds were also funder alongside the Filmstiftung. Synopsis: the ship as an event architecture, which never reaches a final destination, is combined with original interviews with seamen’s widows and reveals the story of a life not lived.

Deep Focus: „High Life“
Shooting for the new film by Claire Denis (screenplay together with  Jean-Pol Fargeau) was done almost completely in Cologne’s Medienparks NRW studios. The leading roles are taken by Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth, Lars Eidinger and Jessie Ross in her first film role. „High Life“ is a production of Cologne’s Pandora Filmproduktion and Alcatraz Films (FR), The Apocalypse Company (UK), Madants (PL) with Andrew Lauren Productions (USA), in co-production with  Arte France Cinema, ZDF/Arte in association with Canal+ and Ciné+. The Filmstiftung NRW backed the project development and production with 1.25 million Euros, additional backing came from DFFF, MBB, FFA as well as CNC, the British Film Institute and the Polish Film Institute. Pandora Film Verleih is releasing the film theatrically, and world sales are being handled by Wild Bunch. Synopsis: Monte and his daughter Tochter Willow are living together onboard a spaceship. They are the only survivors of a crew made up of convicted felons who had bought themselves out of their sentences by going on this mission of no return.

Perspectives: „In My Room“
„In My Room“ is a production by Cologne’s Pandora Film Produktion in co-production with Echo Film (IT), Komplizen Film and in association with the broadcasters  WDR and ARTE. The leads are taken by Hans Löw and Elena Radonicich, with Michael Wittenborn, Emma Bading, Kathrin Resetarits and Ruth Bickelhaupt appearing in the other roles; Patrick Orth was responsible for the cinematography. A large section of the shoot took place in NRW – including the Lippe district and Vlotho -, with other filming in Berlin and South Tyrol. The Filmstiftung supported the production with 695,000 Euros, with additional funding coming from DFFF, FFA, BKM, MBB, HessenFilm und Medien, IDM Südtirol and MiBACT. World sales are being handled by Cologne’s  The Match Factory, Pandora Filmverleih released „In My Room“ theatrically in Germany in November 2018. Synopsis: Armin, in his forties, is a freelancer with lots of time and little money. One morning, the world looks the same as always, but mankind has disappeared.

Limelight: „Rojo“
Benjamin Naishtat wrote the screenplay and was the director on „Rojo“, a production of Pucará Cine (ARG) in co-production with Cologne-based Sutor Kolonko, Desvia (BR), Ecce Films (FR), Bord Cadre (CH) and Viking Film (NL). The cast includes Darío Grandinetti, Andrea Frigerio and Alfredo Castro. The Filmstiftung backed the film with 35,000 Euros, with additional support coming from the World Cinema Fund, INCAA, IBERMEDIA, CNC, NL Film Fund and Hubert Bals Fund. World sales are being handled by Luxbox. Synopsis: The 1970s in Argentina. Political violence holds sway over the land. A good time for bad deeds.