First films
17. June 2024
The first films of the 32nd festival edition have already been announced. In addition to Mohammad Rasoulof’s Cannes competition entry The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the highly acclaimed and multi-award-winning film by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez, will also celebrate its German premiere in Hamburg.
The musical thriller centers on Mexican drug baron Manitas, who wants to leave his past behind and start a new life as a woman. French director Jacques Audiard was awarded the Jury Prize in Cannes for his tenth feature film. The prize for best actress was shared by Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. Neue Visionen and Wild Bunch Germany will release the film in cinemas on November 21.
In FILMFEST HAMBURG’s TV section, three episodes of the ARD Degeto series Black Fruit will be shown on the big screen. The eight-part series focuses on the life of Lalo, a black, queer man in his mid-twenties. When he is thrown off course by the sudden death of his father, he tries to repress his loss with a rash thirst for action – which not only throws his own life off course, but also the lives of his closest friends. Lead actor Lamin Leroy Gibba is also the creator, head writer and co-producer. The film is directed by Elisha Smith-Leverock and David Uzochukwu. Black Fruit is a co-production of Jünglinge Film, Studio Zentral and ARD Degeto Film and will be released in the ARD Mediathek in fall 2024.
A new reindeer adventure, Niko – Journey to the Northern Lights, is on the program at the MICHEL Kinder und Jugend Filmfest and will be shown outside the competition. Niko is finally to become part of Santa’s flying reindeer group. But suddenly the reindeer girl Stella appears and challenges Niko for his place. Through old and new friendships, Niko learns to go his own way and to realize what he really wants. Following Niko – A Reindeer Takes Off and Niko 2 – Little Reindeer, Big Adventure, which premiered at FILMFEST HAMBURG in 2012, the latest animated film, produced by Hamburg-based Ulysses Films, will now also be shown at MICHEL. The film will be released in German cinemas on November 7, distributed by LEONINE Studios.