Dark spirits and strange bodies

WithDesire of the Prey (350,000 euros, Junafilm, Hamburg), cinema-goers can look forward to a German-Canadian co-production that will test their nerves: in her feature film debut, Hamburg director and HFBK graduate Carly May Borgstrom heads to the Canadian forests: Here, a group of young girls must face their dark spirits in order to fight a monster. Executive Producer is Verena-Gräfe Höft, who recently celebrated numerous festival successes with "Pelican Blood".

Directors and Script Writer Alex Schaad presents withMarble (300,000 euros, Walker + Worm Film, Munich) is an unusual love story: a couple tries to save their relationship by swapping into other people's bodies. The high-calibre cast includes Paula Beer, Jonas Dassler, Edgar Selge and Maryam Zaree. Alex Schaad wrote the script together with his brother Dimitrij Schaad, who also plays a leading role. There are 27 days of filming planned in Schleswig-Holstein.

MoreProduction funding is available forHeaven Can Wait (118,000 euros, Heimathafen Film & Media, Hamburg) by Sven Halfar. The documentary centres on Europe's oldest casting choir, whose 70-year-old members perform songs by Fettes Brot and others in St. Pauli. Constantin Hatz's experimental filmMalfunction (100,000 euros, Kinescope, Hamburg) deals with the notes left behind by his best friend, which he wrote before his suicide. In the thrillerBalkaya (100,000 euros, Pola Pandora Filmproduktion, Berlin) by Emin Alper takes a young and idealistic lawyer to the Turkish town of Balkaya, where water has long been in short supply and local elections are now due. Alper's film "A Tale of Three Sisters" screened in competition at the Berlinale in 2019. The filmmaker and former HFBK professor Katharina Pethke sheds light on theReproduction (87,000 euros, fünferfilm, Hamburg) explores the compatibility of motherhood and artistic work. She not only looks at herself, but also at her mother and grandmother, who also studied at the HFBK. The German-Turkish co-productionYurt (55,000 euros, Red Balloon Film, Hamburg) by Directors and Script Writer Nehir Tuna shows the life of little Ahmet, who is sent to a religious boarding school by his wealthy family. The film was supported by Medienboard, FFHSH and the Istanbul Film Festival - Meetings on the Bridge as part of the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund in 2019.

Screenplay funding two projects at the end of the year: Mia Spengler'sLove makes you blind (30,500 euros, House of Nabi, Hamburg) about 15-year-old blind Ivy, and the psychodrama Death and the Maiden (30,000 euros, Manekino Film, Hamburg) by Script Writer, Director and Golden Bear winner (Touch Me Not) Adina Pintilie.

Project development goes to the queer coming of age dramaPetrol Boy (25,000 euros, Oma Inge Film, Hamburg) by Benjamin Teske and the DocumentaryThe Adam Basma Project (15,000 euros, Intuition Club, Schönkirchen) by Leila Basma.

Lending promotion totalling 135,000 euros goes to five projects, includingBloodsuckers (50,000 euros, Grandfilm, Nuremberg) by Julian Radlmaier andGaza mon Amour (40,000 euros, Alamode, Munich) by Arab and Tarzan Nasser.

Playback promotion for three projects, including theCinema calendar 2021 of Hamburg cinemas (3,500 euros, KINEMATHEK Hamburg e.V. Kommunales Kino METROPOLIS).

A detailed list of all funded projects can be found here.

The Director's Cut Committee is responsible for films and series with production costs of less than 3.5 million euros and cinema documentaries with production costs of less than 1.5 million euros.

The funding decision was made on 3 December: Bettina Brokemper, Gabor Greiner, Timo Großpietsch, Manja Malz, Andres Veiel and Helge Albers.

Photo: Unsplash/France Perles