german premiere

mermaid legend

Spectacular underwater scenery, radical fight scenes (even by today's standards!) and outstanding acting performances got this legendary mixture of Japanese softporn and revenge drama numerous awards in 1985. After that, the film disappeared and was never seen outside of Japan. The negatives were found again in 2021 and have now been restored. A unique work, now, on German screens for the first time!

fresh blood – deutschlandpremiere

else

In ELSE a mysterious virus provokes bodies and any other matter to merge. The young couple Cassie and Hans are right in the middle of it. Every rubbing, every chafing, every sliminess adds up to a dreamlike visual and acoustic spectacle. An apocalyptic body horror romance and a sensual event for the big screen. Thibault Emin's debut film made it directly into the Midnight Madness section of this year's Toronto Film Festival.

german premiere

breathing in

Director Jaco Bouwer comes back after GAIA with an intense thriller based on a historical background. Thanks to outstanding actors he creates a psychological horror movie with mystical connotations that gets deep under the skin. Cinematographer Jorrie van der Welt’s nightmarishly bizarre compositions are of such exquisite sublimity that you stagger out of the cinema drunk with excitement. An intense experience.

german premiere

steppenwolf

Chaos rules the country. Guerrillas fight the corrupt police, gangs terrorise the destitute population. Tamara’s son is missing. The only person who can help her find the child for a horrendous fee is torture expert Brajyuk. What an anti-hero! Where others have a beating heart, Brajyuk is all biting cynicism and stoic sadism. STEPPENWOLF is a merciless series of punches into the stomach.

fresh blood – deutschlandpremiere

sleep

When Soo-jin wakes up in the middle of the night, her husband stares into the darkness and says: "There's someone!" But it’s only the dog. The incidents at night pile up. SLEEP weaves complex themes into a gripping, modern horror film whose entertaining and enigmatic scenario keeps us in the dark for a long time. The lead role is played by PARASITE actor Lee Sun-kyun, who took his own life at the end of 2023.

centerpiece – fear good – deutschlandpremiere

maldoror

Fabrice du Welz is since CALVAIRE and VINYAN one of the most sophisticated European genre cinema auteurs. In his new film MALDOROR he tells the true story of the notorious Belgian serial killer Marc Dutroux. Supported by the outstanding acting performance of Anthony Bajon he stages a raw and epic true crime bastard with a menacingly pulsating soundtrack. An uncomfortable and disturbing masterpiece of genre cinema in a perfect 1990s look!

german premiere

dark match

After his two WOLFCOP hits, in which he plays crazy with the werewolf genre, Lowell Dean comes up with a new, unusual idea. In DARK MATCH he crosses creative wrestling stunts with crude occult splatter! A wrestling group takes part in a fight because of the good fee. But then they encounter Satanists who have a brutal plan. Buckets full of blood flow in all directions. Get ready to rumble!

closing night

twilight of the warriors: walled in

Big, loud and crazy: This is for sure what you will see already in the first few minutes of TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN by Soi Cheang (LIMBO). Set in Hong Kong and based on the “Walled City” that was till its demolition in 1993 the most densely populated neighbourhood in the world, he presents a frenetic action film. This hommage to Hong Kong cinema is a fantastic spectacle, reuniting big names such as Louis Koo and Sammo Hung on the big screen.

opening night

speak no evil

James Watkins comes back with a brilliant remake of the Danish horror thriller by Christian Tatdrups SPEAK NO EVIL. In his interpretation an American family meets an Irish one, and from there things get out of hand. James McAvoy’s performance recalls Jack Nicholson’s unforgoten appearance in SHINING. As for the Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy and Aisling Franciosi they are no less impressive in this head-spinning tour de force full of bitterly wicked humour.

german premiere

kill

KILL is the best what action cinema can offer. Elite soldier Amrit finds himself in a night train to New Delhi to prevent the marriage of the love of his life, when a clan of robbers start to torment the passengers. KILL is as straightforward as THE RAID and a frenetic version of DIE HARD on rails. The audience will be pulled through it at the same speed as its protagonists. It will take your breath away.