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The Zurich Film Festival (Zff) has unveiled the eleven titles set to screen as part of its Gala programme during its upcoming 20th edition, running October 3 – 13.

The selection features Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winning feature Anora, starring Mikey Madison, Paul Weissman, and Lindsey Normington. Also screening is Steve McQueen’s Blitz. The film is set to open the London Film Festival and stars Saoirse Ronan, Elliot Heffernan, Harris Dickinson and Paul Weller.

The selection also features German filmmaker Edward Berger’s latest feature Conclave. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow. The official synopsis reads: Following the death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with leading the search for a new Pope in the far corners of the Vatican. Lawrence quickly finds himself at the center of a conspiracy, as the cardinals forge factions and foster rivalries to serve their own ambitions. As the political scheming intensifies,...

The Zurich Film Festival has unveiled the first seven titles from its Gala Premieres section, a showcase of some of the year’s hottest auteur films. The films include the star-studded drama “The Banshees of Inisherin” by Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh, the European premiere of the German film adaptation “All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Edward Berger, and the world premieres of Sönke Wortmann’s “Der Nachname” and “Die Goldenen Jahre” by Barbara Kulcsar.

Artistic director Christian Jungen said: “In recent years, the Zurich Film Festival has established itself as a springboard into the awards season. Of the last 10 winners of the Oscar for Best Film, six screened at the festival. This year, we will again present international auteur films that will later play a role in the Oscar race to the more than 120,000 visitors and the 600 accredited media.”

The complete program of the festival will be published on Sept.

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Irish drama The Banshees of Inisherin, from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri director Martin McDonagh; Edward Berger’s German-language adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front; and Cannes winners Triangle of Sadness and Broker are among the titles getting the gala treatment at this year’s Zurich International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 22 – Oct 2.

Zurich has unveiled the first seven of the gala premieres for the 2022 fest. Most will be heading to Zurich after their world premieres elsewhere. Banshees of Inisherin will first bow in competition in Venice, while All Quiet on the Western Front, a Netflix film, kicks off its festival run in Toronto. Another Venice title, Argentina, 1985 — from director Santiago Mitre and featuring The Secrets in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín — will also hit the Zurich red carpet (which is actually green) this year.

Among the Zurich 2022 galas are two...

Florian Gallenberger, the director behind “John Rabe,” a historical drama about the Nanking Massacre in China, and “Colonia,” a political thriller set in Chile against the backdrop of the 1973 military coup, has made his first comedy.

“It’s Just a Phase, Honey,” which had its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival, offers a hilarious look at a married couple, played by Christoph Maria Herbst and Christiane Paul, who, in the midst of a mid-life crisis, attempt a trial separation.

The film is an adaptation of Maxim Leo and Jochen-Martin Gutsch’s bestseller, which comprises 25 short, unconnected anecdotes. Gallenberger and co-writer Malte Welding had to create a major plotline that included the various scenes of the book.

“We had to and did take some liberties with the novel in order to make it into one story instead of 25 little funny moments,” Gallenberger explains.

Poking fun at the near-50 crowd, the...

The Zurich Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of Gala Premieres, including the world premieres of Florian Gallenberger’s relationship comedy “It’s Just a Phase, Honey,” and Andreas Schmied’s skiing champion biopic “Chasing the Line,” as well as a German-language territories premiere for Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” which will close the festival.

The Gala section focuses on auteur films with broad audience appeal, with the filmmakers presenting their films in person. “We’re celebrating the comeback of great auteur cinema this year,” said artistic director Christian Jungen. “Thanks to the Zff’s reputation on the international film scene, it has now become easier for us to get important movies that go on to play a crucial role later in the award season.”

“It’s Just a Phase, Honey,” which stars Christoph Maria Herbst and Christiane Paul, focuses on Emilia and Paul, whose marriage has broken down.

Picture Tree International has picked up world sales rights on Sönke Wortmann’s latest feature “Contra.” Pti will launch the film onto the market with a first promo at AFM, which starts Monday.

“Contra” had its world premiere at the 16th Zurich Film Festival, and is set for a Christmas release in German-speaking territories by Constantin Film, one of the world’s top independent distributors. Pti will give the film a physical market premiere at February’s European Film Market.

Wortmann has been one of German cinema’s leading directors since the early 90s, with films like “Maybe, Maybe Not” (“Der bewegte Mann”), which was the most successful German film of the 1990s, soccer drama “The Miracle of Bern” (“Das Wunder von Bern”), and “Pope Joan” (“Die Päpstin”).

“Contra” follows the fallout for a university professor, Richard Pohl, after he directs a xenophobic insult at law student Naima Hamid. After...

Other world premieres include football drama Trautmann.

The 2018 Zurich Film Festival (September 27–October 7) has announced more titles for its Gala strand, including the world premiere of Richard Says Goodbye directed by Wayne Roberts and starring Johnny Depp, both set to attend.

Saban Films and DirecTV recently acquired North American rights to the project, which was co-financed by Im Global and Cirrina Studios with additional financing from Leeding Media.

Other Zurich world premieres announced are football drama Trautmann directed by Marcus Rosenmüller and starring David Kross and John Henshaw, and Der Vorname, directed by Sönke Wortmann and starring Iris Berben and Christoph Maria Herbst.

Exclusive: Constantin Film is going undercover for Look Who’s Back, its big-screen adaptation of Timur Vermes’ bestselling novel that imagines the return of Adolf Hitler to modern-day Germany. The powerhouse German company is replicating the Borat model, thrusting its notorious central character played by unknown German actor Oliver Masucci into unsuspecting real-life situations in Germany.

Actual principal photography begins Saturday, but reaction to the “pre-shoots” with Masucci as Der Fuhrer has spread virally across the country, where the dark days of Nazi rule remain a blot on the German psyche. The shoot will take place all over Germany with a particular emphasis in Berlin.

The book, a publishing phenomenon selling 2 million copies in Germany alone, has proven a hot-potato subject across Europe. It has now been published in more than 40 countries. Constantin has maintained an iron curtain of confidentiality around the project for fear of blowing the cover of Masucci,...

If you may recall from the first teaser trailer for Reinhard Klooss & Holger Tappe's upcoming CG animated adaptation of Konferenz der Tiere (translated as "The Animal's Conference"), it paints a serious tone until the very end when a meerkat pops-up and says something in German with a comedic theme playing in the background.  The second teaser continues to go in that route with a gag scene where we get to see some characters interaction for the first time.  Here's a rough translation of the official synopsis:

Surprised the animals in the African savannah is: Where is the water? Long it should have come through a gorge from the distant mountains. The thirst is getting bigger, the concern also is small considering that the last water hole of fierce buffalo and rhino defended. The brave little meerkat Billy and the peace-loving lion Socrates pull off to check the water. They...

Cologne, Germany -- German comedy outfit Brainpool is producing a feature film based on the cult TV series "Stromberg," the German adaptation of the BBC hit "The Office."

Writer and series co-creator Ralf Husmann will pen the script to the feature, which is planned as the finale to the sitcom's fourth season.

Christoph Maria Herbst will star as the incompetent boss of a small-time insurance office, the role that made him famous in Germany.

In its third season on Pro7, "Stromberg" already has run longer than its BBC predecessor and has even spawned a spinoff, "Beruhmt" (Famous), which follows the misadventures of office brown-noser Ernie. That series, which Husmann also is writing, will debut on Pro7 next year.

COLOGNE, Germany -- International sales outfit Beta Cinema has picked up worldwide licensing rights to hit German children's film Hui Buh starring Germany's number one comedian Michael Bully Herbig. Beta will be selling the picture, which has spent the last seven weeks in the German top 10 and has earned around €10 million ($13 million). Based on a best-selling German audio book, the story of a bumbling cowardly ghost also stars Heike Makatsch and Christoph Maria Herbst. Beta will be presenting Hui Buh to buyers for the first time at the Toronto International Film Festival. Also on Beta's Toronto slate is Stasi drama The Lives Of Others, Chris Kraus' Four Minutes about a criminal-piano prodigy and Hans Steinbichler's Winter Journey, which opened this year's Munich Film Festival.

COLOGNE, Germany -- Senator Entertainment has ended a legal dispute with two leading indie production firms and will distribute local-language picture Wo Ist Fred? (Where is Fred?), a politically incorrect comedy starring Til Schweiger, Juergen Vogel, Alexandra Maria Lara and Christoph Maria Herbst. Senator co-produced the feature with Hofmann & Voges and Neue Bioskop Film. But after Senator pushed back the film's release date, H&V and Neue Bioskop used a clause in their contract to take the film to Warner Bros. Germany (HR 5/23). Senator lawyers blocked the move, starting a legal battle that kept the movie on the shelf. But on Monday, Senator announced it has settled out of court and will be releasing Wo Ist Fred in Germany on Nov. 16. "We are extremely pleased that after all this controversy, all obstacles have been removed and we can focus fully on the film," said Senator CEO Helge Sasse, adding that he hoped the troubles surrounding the film would not hinder future cooperation with H&V and Neue Bioskop. "Partnerships that have a difficult start often hold together for a very long time," he said.

COLOGNE -- David Groenewold's German Film Prods. has boarded the children's film Hui Buh -- Das Schlossgespenst (Hui Buh -- The Castle Ghost), which features local comedy star Michael "Bully" Herbig, Groenwold said Monday. Herbig, who directed and starred in the German boxoffice hits Dreamship Surprise and Manitou's Shoe, plays the title role of the clumsy ghost Hui Buh. The cast also features Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually) and German comedy star Christoph Maria Herbst. GFP will co-finance the film with producers Constantin Film and Christian Becker's Rat Pack Filmproduktion. GFP and Rat Pack previously teamed for last year's comedy spoof The Wanker, a surprise hit which took in more than $14 million at the German boxoffice. Sebastian Niemann, who helmed the German TV movie The Jesus Video for Rat Pack and GFP, will direct Hui Buh.

COLOGNE -- David Groenewold's German Film Productions has boarded the children's film Hui Buh - Das Schlossgespenst (Hui Buh -- The Castle Ghost), which features local comedy star and boxoffice champ Michael "Bully" Herbig, Groenwold said Monday. Herbig, who directed and starred in German comedy boxoffice hits' Dreamship Surprise and Manitou's Shoe, plays the title role of the clumsy ghost Hui Buh. The cast also features Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually) and German comedy star Christoph Maria Herbst. GFP will co-finance the film together with producers Constantin Film and Christian Becker's Rat Pack Filmproduktion. GFP and Rat Pack previously teamed for last year's comedy spoof The Wanker, which was a surprise hit, taking in more than $14 million at the German box office. Sebastian Niemann, who helmed German TV movie The Jesus Video for Rat Pack and GFP, will direct Hui Buh.