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Film und Medien Stiftung NRW➝News➝Press➝Two Filmstiftung-backed productions in Venice: "Spencer" and "The Peacock’s Paradise"

Two Filmstiftung-backed productions in Venice: "Spencer" and "The Peacock’s Paradise"

  • "Spencer": with Kirsten Stewart as Lady Di
  • "The Peacock’s Paradise": from ´Cologne’s Match Factory, among others, directed by Laura Bispuri.
  • 78th Venice International Film Festival from Sept. 1-11, 2021.

The Venice International Film Festival has just announced that two Filmstiftung-backed co-productions – "Spencer", produced by Komplizen Film ("Toni Erdmann"), and "The Peacock’s Paradise", produced by Cologne-based Match Factory Productions –  have been invited to screen at  the Venice Film Festival. Pablo Larraín will be in the Competition with "Spencer", while Laura Bispuri will be showing "The Peacock’s Paradise" in the Orizzonti sidebar. The 78th Venice International Film Festival will take place from September 1-11, 2021.

"Congratulations to Komplizen Film and Cologne’s Match Factory Productions for the invitation to be presented in Venice!", says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. "Both films were made last year during the Coronavirus pandemic. So, we are even more happy with the filmmakers and will be keeping our fingers crossed for a successful festival!"

"Spencer" (Competition)

The multi-award-winning director Pablo Larrain  focuses in "Spencer" on the last Christmas Princess Diana spends together with the British Royal Family on the Sandringham estate in 1991. The marriage between her and Prince Charles has long since cooled down and rumours about affairs and an impending separation are already doing the rounds. The Oscar-nominated author Steven Knight wrote the screenplay. Kristen Stewart dazzles in the lead role. Sally Hawkins and Timothy Spall are also among the cast. The César winner Claire Mathon is behind the camera. The film was shot in NRW at Schloss Nordkirchen in the district of Coesfeld as well as in Dülmen. The Filmstiftung backed the international production with 550,000 Euros. Komplizen Film produced the film with Fabula Films and Shoebox Films. Neon and Topic Studios came on board as executive producers. DCM will distribute in German cinemas, with FilmNation Entertainment handling world sales. Additional funding came from MBB, HessenFilm und Medien, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) and the German Federal Film Board (FFA).

"The Peacock’s Paradise" (Orizzonti).

"The Peacock’s Paradise" by the Italian director Laura Bispuri is a drama about a family who come together for a birthday party. The family’s  peacock falls in love with a little dove which appears in a painting. The unexpected and tragic ending to this love story leads everyone to question their relationships, assume responsibility and thus accept their life in a quite new way. Bispuri wrote the screenplay with Silvana Tamma. Cologne’s Match Factory Productions, who is now working with Bispuri for the third time after "Sworn Virgin" and "Daughter Of Mine", co-produced this latest film with Italy’s Vivo Film. World sales are being handled by The Match Factory. Dominique Sanda, Alba Rohrwacher and Maya Sansa are in the starring roles. The Film- und Medienstiftung supported the project with 150,000 Euros.