Six world premieres of international films at the Munich International Film Festival

For decades, the Munich International Film Festival has been a major staging ground for world premieres of German cinema productions. Following up on the well-received inclusion of no fewer than six world premieres of international films last year, the 2024 edition of the festival will again be a launchpad for six international productions.

Here’s an example from last year: Following the triumphant premiere of “Edge of Everything” at the Munich International Film Festival in 2023, its writer-directors, Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman, received the award for best US independent film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

“We envision the Munich International Film Festival as a place to discover international independent productions and as a catalyst and stepping stone to their success. As a festival, we offer them an international platform that delivers broad visibility and numerous networking opportunities. We keep up with the films even after their world premiere in Munich and seek to build lasting relationships with talented filmmakers from around the world,” say Christoph Gröner, festival director, and Julia Weigl, artistic co-director of the Munich International Film Festival.

Lucrative CineCoPro Award to be presented again

Focus on internationality: In reintroducing the CineCoPro Award at this year’s CineCoPro Conference, the festival is strengthening its focus on international co-productions. The 100,000-euro CineCoPro Award is the most lucrative prize available to German co-producers. After a four-year break, it is now being awarded for the second time and is being sponsored by FFF Bayern for the first time. Canada is the host country of this year’s CineCoPro Conference and is thus twice represented among the world premieres of international productions at the Munich International Film Festival.

Six world premieres of international films at the Munich International Film Festival

Six world premieres of international productions — from Canada and the UK to Brazil and Argentina — will be held at the festival this year, with filmmakers and other creative individuals attending all of the premieres.

“Poison” by Désirée Nosbusch, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and the UK
Désirée Nosbusch will present her first feature film, “Poison”, in its world premiere at the Munich International Film Festival. “Poison” tells the moving story of an estranged couple who meet up nine years after the death of their child. The cemetery where their son is buried reawakens feelings of grief, love, and hope in the protagonists, who are played by Trine Dyrholm and Tim Roth.

“Allen Sunshine” by Harley Chamandy, Canada
Harley Chamandy is a Lebanese-Greek-Egyptian director from Montreal, Canada, who will be celebrating the world premiere of his first feature motion picture, “Allen Sunshine”, at the Munich International Film Festival. This touching film is about a musician who retreats to a remote cabin to mourn a tragic loss. Amid the solitude of the Canadian wilderness and the ethereal sounds in his recording studio, he struggles with his grief until an unexpected encounter ends his isolation and gives him a fresh outlook.

“The Spoils” by Jamie Kastner, Canada
Canadian writer-director Jamie Kastner will be presenting his latest documentary, “The Spoils”, at the Munich International Film Festival. Kastner’s film centers around a controversial exhibition in honor of Jewish art dealer Max Stern. This exhibition at the Düsseldorf City Museum was supposed to open in 2018, but was delayed by three years by discussions about the restitution of art looted by the Nazis. This is an at times ironic documentary about ownership, history, and morality.

“Gina” by Ulrike Kofler, Austria
Austrian director Ulrike Kofler is coming to the Munich International Film Festival to celebrate the world premiere of “Gina”, a portrait of three generations. This film introduces us to nine-year-old Gina, who wants nothing more than the warmth of an intact family unit. But her mother, Gitte, is already incapable of raising Gina and her two siblings on her own. Her love of parties and alcohol puts her at risk of losing custody of the children. Gina bravely refuses to accept such a fate.

“Continente” by Davi Pretto, Brazil, France, and Argentina
Brazilian writer-director Davi Pretto will be presenting his third feature film, “Continente”, a Brazilian, French, and Argentinian co-production. In this dazzling feature film, Amanda returns to her village in a remote corner of Brazil after spending several years abroad. Her father is dying, which involves her in a strange inheritance linked to a mysterious secret regarding the structure of village life. Socio-political realism evolves into bloody postcolonial horror.

“Krishnamurti – The Revolution of Silence” by Françoise Ferraton, France
Françoise Ferraton will be celebrating the world premiere of her first feature-length film, “Krishnamurti – La Révolution du Silence”, at the Munich International Film Festival. Using fascinating archival footage, this documentary looks at the life and times of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti and his spiritual thought.

Images for all six international worldpremieres can be found here.

The Munich International Film Festival will be held from June 28 to July 7, 2024. Its opening gala will be held at the Gasteig HP8 on Saturday, June 29 (by invitation only). The festival center will once again be at the Amerikahaus in the museum district.

Save the date: The press conference of the 41st Munich International Film Festival will be held at the CINEMA Filmtheater at 09:45 am on June 18, 2024.

Accreditation
Journalists interested in applying for accreditation to the 2024 Munich International Film Festival can find information on press accreditation here. Accreditation deadline: June 14, 2024