opening night

dogman

During a traffic stop, Doug is picked up at the wheel of a truck full of dogs, covered in blood and wearing an evening gown. During his interrogation at the police station, he tells the psychologist assigned to him of events so shocking that they defy the imagination. His story goes back to the days of his childhood, when his mother fled his sadistic father (Clemens Schick) and Doug - now locked up in the dog pound - made a unique pact with his four-legged friends. This inseparable bond is the foundation of an incredible life: Despite being outcast by the world, DogMan never gives up and, together with his army of animals, takes on the mighty and the evil.

With echoes of JOKER, DOGMAN is a fantastic, wild trip of a film. Its grandiose visuals, fast-paced action scenes and fantastic music make it an extremely intense cinematic experience. The spectacular scenario of the successful director Luc Besson, who could not have found a better person to play the role of DogMan than Caleb Landry Jones, unfolds in a comic-like, fairytale-like and magical way. Already awarded Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 for his performance in NITRAM, he delivers another sensational, award-worthy performance here. Chapeau also to his 30 adorable, barking sidekicks who add to the charm of the film.

fresh blood

lost in the stars

He Fei wakes up with a gorgeous lady in his bed who claims to be Li Muzi, just one day after reporting his wife, Li Muzi, missing. His attempt to demonstrate the opposite fails, especially because the woman is on all their common holiday pictures. Is this a criminal plot or is He Fei really loosing it? This Chinese blockbuster has so many twists and turns that it will leave you dizzy, much like the main protagonist.

fresh blood

mars express

This masterfully crafted animation film presents a fascinating, in-depth dystopian portrait of life on Mars in the year 2200. The compelling science fiction thriller MARS EXPRESS poses the philosophical and timely question: How much soul does AI possess? A theme that has already helped METROPOLIS, BLADE RUNNER, and GHOST IN THE SHELL become iconic works of genre cinema. Advanced science fiction!

girl unknown

Leo contacts young women in online chats. He forces Carolina to meet him in person threatening her to disclose embarrassing photos of her otherwise. Pablo Maqueda's dark thriller is Spanish suspense cinema par excellence, and with every scene it throws up another astonishing hook. GIRL UNKNOWN develops into such a provocative psychological thriller thanks to its excellent lead actors Laia Manzanares and Manolo Solo.

pandemonium

After an accident that causes his death, Nathan is catapulted into a somber limbo where he has to face not only his own sins but also the sins of others. Without hesitating, French director Quarxx names Darren Aronofsky, Gaspar Noé, and David Lynch as his inspirations. His descent into the abyss of the human psyche explores different levels of cruelty through three stories. His film is as visually captivating as it is disturbing in content.

fresh blood

restore point

In the near future, thanks to new technology, death is nothing humans have to be afraid of anymore. Just remember to back up your body on a regular basis. Following the footsteps of equally sophisticated science fiction classics like BLADE RUNNER, RESTORE POINT hows a sterile dystopian society in which, in the end, nothing is as it appears, with astounding elegance and an unfailing instinct for the perfect mood.

farang

A fateful chain of violence forces Sam to flee abroad. Five years later, he has made a good life for himself in Thailand with his wife Mia and daughter Dara, supplementing his income by staging Thai boxing matches. But his brutal past won't let him go. The local gangster boss Narong has heard of him and is demanding an extortionate tribute. Soon Sam sees no other way out but to embark on a death-defying, powerful campaign. Against Narong, against his dozens of henchmen, against everyone - the day of vengeance has come and no one can stop him!

Former MMA fighter Nassim Lyes embodies the character of the blindly raging hero with unparalleled power, and Xavier Gens' spectacularly filmed and choreographed close-combat action film of shattered bones and battered bodies is a match for the likes of THE RAID and TAKEN.

conann

When the world was dark and ancient tales were still believed, a girl was born who would become the mightiest warrior of all time: Barbarians slaughter her mother and enslave young Conann, but her liberation sets in motion a cycle of rebirth that takes the fearsome warrior and her faithful canine companion, Rainer, from the icy forests of their childhood to neon-lit metropolises of bizarre violence. And again and again, Conann encounters her nemesis Sanja - and a fight to the death ensues...

CONANN is a challenge to the senses. The third film by the eccentric director Bertrand Mandico, his rigorous reinterpretation of the classic barbarian myth sends his protagonist, embodied by half a dozen actresses, on a stylistically grotesque blood orgy. A uniquely sublime pièce de résistance.

fresh blood

mad cats

The attempt of the good-for-nothing Taka to save his brother from a half-cat, half-woman cult fails. Only after an amazon with great fighting skills joins in, does he have a real chance. Can they stop the mutants' plan for world dominance in time? Embark on a crazy trip of fast cars, sharp claws, and tasty cat food in this first feature film by Reiki Tsuno, undoubtedly reminiscent of Japanese punk cinema.

centerpiece

the animal kingdom

A mysterious disease gradually transforms people into animals. The creatures hide in the forest, including Émile's mother. In search of her, Émile penetrates deeper and deeper into the kingdom of the animals. In French director Thomas Cailley's atmospheric coming-of-age body horror, the forest is a place of longing for some, a threat for others. Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulos star alongside young leading actor Paul Kircher with a penetrating gaze.