Kusturica, Roeg & Puiu Merge with MatchBox
MatchBox Coproduction Lounge heads into its second year with an exciting line-up of developing projects to be presented at 24th Edition of this year’s Oldenburg International Film Festival, as the Closing Night Film and further program highlights are announced
Following last year’s successful launch, the MatchBox Coproduction Lounge will be held in Oldenburg for the second time. On September 16th, the Oldenburg International Film Festival will host the one-day event, in which filmmakers from all over the world will meet to exchange ideas and explore a potential match of interests, in a relaxed intimate atmosphere in order to connect and create opportunities for future collaborations. Filminvest from Norway will be in attendance with members of their film fund and a delegation of producers. And Film Fund Luxembourg will be in focus and presented as a coproduction partner for potential international projects.
Luxembourg’s producer Paul Thiltges will present "Son of a Very Important Man" by Palestinian filmmaker Najwa Najjar. Emir Kusturica’s daughter Dunja will attend with her first cinematographic endeavor “Fake Oxygen” - a contemporary take on Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. US writer/director Matthew Berkowitz will present “Inside Me” – his edgy new thriller, and with “The Seventh Magpie”, UK producer Michael Riley brings the latest project of legendary cinema visionary Nicolas Roeg to Oldenburg’s Coproduction Meeting. And with his highly anticipated upcoming project “Hora Staccato”, the award-winning European auteur Cristi Puiu will attend with his producing partner Anca Puiu at Mandragora.
Luxembourg’s box office hit “Rusty Boys” by Andy Bausch will be this year’s Closing Night Film
Rusty Boys, Luxembourg, 2017
Luxembourg’s biggest box office comedy hit of 2017, “Rusty Boys”, will be the Closing Night Film of the 24th Edition of the Oldenburg International Film Festival. Directed by Andy Bausch, in this hilarious tale of rebels with a cause, age is but a number for four elderly men who refuse to conform to societies expectations - or obey its oppressive rules. Having taken pride in being independent their entire lives, they refuse to spend their golden years wasting away in a retirement home. And with an escape plan in place, they embark on the greatest adventure of their lives.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Further Highlights of this year’s Oldenburg International Film Festival will be:
Outrage Coda, Japan, 2017
In the last chapter of his notorious Outrage trilogy, internationally renowned and award-winning Japanese megastar Takeshi Kitano takes us on yet another rollercoaster ride down into the underground Japanese theme park. Five years since the out for blood war raged between the notorious Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, the dust has finally settled. However, a small stir causes former Yakuza boss Otomo (played by the director himself) to emerge once again, settle the score. Directly following its world premiere, the Venice Closing Night film comes to Oldenburg marking it the 4th film from Kitano to premiere at the Festival.
GERMAN PREMIERE
Winter Brothers, Denmark/Iceland, 2017
From the pitch-black depths of a rural chalk mine - a light appears. Following the helmet flashlight of a miner, we journey back to the surface of harsh winter in a remote town. But not before a routine swig of Emil’s homemade moonshine is passed around and shared. As unlike his older brother, and fellow miner, Johan, Emil has few other assets to offer. Following the brothers routines, rituals and a violent feud that erupts between them - revenge, loneliness, and lack of love pervade in Hylnur Palmason’s breathtaking debut that swept four awards at its Locarno premiere, including Best Actor for Elliot Crosset Hoves as Emil.
GERMAN PREMIERE
Never Here, USA, 2017
Lines blur between real and imaginary, crime and art, the watcher and the watched in this eerie, genre-subverting exploration of identity by award-winning documentary filmmaker Camille Thoman. Installation artist Miranda Fall (Mireille Enos) secretly follows and photographs strangers whose lives she displays in her exhibitions, until disturbing events lead her to suspect that one of her subjects may following and watching HER. Produced by Bronwyn Cornelius whose 2009 “Made in China” won the German Independence Award. “Never Here” is Thoman’s narrative debut, and marks the final performance of American Icon, Sam Shephard.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Midnighters, USA, 2107
In the feature debut of Emmy-nominated director of “The Waking Dead”, Julius Ramsay, killing is easy - but getting away with it is murder. Midnight. New Years Eve. A clean slate and a new start for many, but for Lindsey (Alex Essoe “Fashionista”) and Jeff Pittman, it will put their strained marriage to the ultimate test. Trying to cover up a crime, they unleash hidden horrors and find themselves entangled in a web of deceit, distrust, and madness. Written by Alston Ramsay, the brothers deliver a Hitchcockian tale layered with suspenseful thrills and the deadly force of greed. INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
Der Fall Holdt, Germany, 2017
Award-winning filmmaker, Anne Zohra Berrached, whose most recent film 2016s “24 Weeks” was awarded at the Berlinale, presents her latest offering in the highly anticipated next sequel of Germany’s longest running cult drama - Tatort. Set in a small town in Lower Saxony, a woman has been kidnapped and a large ransom request is sent to her husband Frank, a banker. In despair, he asks his wealthy parents-in-law to pay, but against the explicit demands of the kidnappers the in-laws turn to the police for help. With German star Maria Furtwängler - in a race against time.
WORLD PREMIERE