The Oldenburg Film Festival, Germany’s premier independent film festival, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an exciting lineup of world premieres and notable screenings. Some of the highlights include films featuring renowned actors Marion Cotillard and Ving Rhames.
One of the closing films of the festival is “Uppercut,” a boxing film starring Ving Rhames, known for his role in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Directed by Torsten Ruether, it is a remake of his own German-language debut “Leberhaken,” which premiered at Oldenburg in 2021. The film tells the story of a disillusioned former boxer who finds redemption when a young woman begs him to train her at his gym.
Spanish genre director F. Javier Gutierrez will also present his latest horror film, “The Wait.” Gutierrez gained international recognition with his debut film “After the Fall,” a sci-fi thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world. He then directed “Rings,” the third installment in the popular Japanese-inspired horror franchise, but it was considered a disappointment. Returning to his roots, Gutierrez’s newest film follows a struggling family whose lives take a dark turn. Starring Pedro Casablanc, Luis Callejo, Víctor Clavijo, and Ruth Díaz, the film will have its world premiere at the festival.
A world premiere at the festival is “Whenever I’m Alone With You,” a French romantic comedy inspired by the Nouvelle Vague movement. Directors Guillaume Campanacci and Vedrana Egon also star in the film as a suicidal Frenchman and a Bosnian ballerina trapped in a loveless relationship. Their paths cross in southern France, leading to unexpected romantic moments.
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In addition to these premieres, the Oldenburg Film Festival will showcase other notable films, including the 80s-set paranoid comedy “The Belgian Wave” by director Jerome Vandewattyne. German films like “Das Wunderkind” by Thomas Stiller and “Allmen Und Das Geheimnis Des Koi” by Sinje Köhler will also be screened.
The festival will also feature the German premieres of “Robot Dreams,” an animated dog-and-robot buddy comedy by Pablo Berger, and “The King of Algiers,” a Cannes Midnight Screener by first-time director Elias Belkeddar. Marion Cotillard, known for her role in films like “Inception,” stars in “Little Girl Blue,” a French psychological docudrama by director Mona Achache. In the film, Cotillard portrays the director’s mother, Carole Achache, a writer and set photographer. Achache herself appears, conducting an interview with Cotillard about her life and decision to commit suicide.
Other films previously announced for the 2023 Oldenburg Film Festival include “The Nothingness Club,” a drama by Edgar Pêra inspired by the works of renowned Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa, and “Passenger C,” the directorial debut of producer Cassian Elwes. “Passenger C” is inspired by an impactful red-eye flight that changed Elwes’ life.
As the festival approaches, Oldenburg fans can get a taste of the event’s atmosphere through a film spoof trailer. The trailer showcases festival director Torsten Neumann channeling Marlon Brando’s character from “Apocalypse Now” as he reflects on the true essence of film festivals.
The 30th Oldenburg Film Festival will take place from September 13 to 17, 2023. It promises to be an exciting celebration of independent cinema, offering a diverse range of films from around the world. Attendees can look forward to world premieres, German premieres, and engaging screenings that showcase the talent and creativity of independent filmmakers.
