From June 25 to July 4, Munich’s annual FilmFest is back. The great thing about the FilmFest is that it’s very much an international affair – actors and directors the world over come to screenings and many of the films are shown either in English, or with English subtitles. There are a huge range of films being shown this year – there’s a tribute to Andy Warhol, plenty of films from Alexander Payne, and lots of movies from further afield – Japan, Colombia and China, for instance.
Tickets are available both online and at various sales stands, and the full list of films showing is already available online. I’ve picked out a few screenings to help inspire you:
Featuring Jack Nicholson and directed by the superb Alexander Payne (who directed everyone’s favourite wine film, Sideways, back in 2004), About Schmidt is a road movie that The Guardian’s described as “sublimely funny and exquisitely sad”. It’s showing twice at the Filmmuseum, and looks like it’s well worth a watch. If you’re a fan of Payne’s work, The Descendants will also be showing at the FilmFest, and there will be a gala for Payne on June 26.
(OV with German subtitles)
I must admit, I loved J.K.Rowling’s book The Casual Vacancy. It was an ugly portrait of modern Britain and the characters were so well thought out. I’ve seen a couple of clips of the BBC adaptation and I’m not sure about it – they’ve changed the ending and there are a few other discrepancies that I can’t ignore. Nevertheless, I am intrigued by it, and would love to see the adaptation in full – and the FilmFest’s the place to do so – it’s showing at the HFF at 8pm on July 4.
(OV)
This Colombian film, directed by Ciro Guerra, was screened at Cannes earlier this year. The images are spectacular, and the film tells two parallel tales of people entering the Amazon rainforest – one, a European explorer, the other, a local shaman. Essentially, it offers a critique of the destruction of indigenous cultures at the hands of colonial invaders.
(OV with English subtitles)
This Danish film sounds painfully sad. Directed by Oscar-winning Bille August, the film centers around a dying matriarch whose family gathers around her on the weekend she wishes to die. It’s a tearjerker, and one that’s received predominately positive reviews.
(OV with English subtitles)
This 1971 movie gets its German premiere at this year’s FilmFest. It’s a dark comedy, focused on a girl who falls in love with an obscene phone caller. It’s a ridiculous, nonsensical black and white movie directed by Nelson Lyon (perhaps best known for being involved in the three-day drug binge that killed John Belushi in 1983), and doesn’t make a jot of sense.
(OV)
This 1984 British film is based on Julian Mitchell’s play of the same name, featuring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Rufus Wainwright. It’s a movie about homosexuality, bullying and public school life, directed by Marek Kanievska, who went on to direct Where The Money Is.
(OV)
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this Amy Winehouse documentary at the moment. The Guardian published a five-star review of the film in May and Variety described it as a “profoundly felt film” from the Senna director. The FilmFest have secured Amy’s German premiere, and head to the HFF on June 27 to catch it.
(OV with German subtitles)
There’s also a children’s FilmFest running at the same time, with lots of very cool international kids films. The full program’s available here.
As for events, there’s one particularly cool Andy Warhol event on during the FilmFest:
On Saturday, June 27, the Museum Brandhorst will host a vernissage for an exhibition celebrating Andy Warhol, as part of the FilmFest and Brandhorst’s Warholmania cooperation. The vernissage starts at 7pm and the party continues until the early hours, and the DJ will play from 9pm.
What are you most looking forward to catching at the FilmFest? I’m looking forward to hearing your tips!
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