“The film festival of the heart,” as one speaker called it, has begun. Despite the football competition, many film celebrities came to the opening night.
The 41st Munich Film Festival was officially opened on Saturday (June 29). More than 1,500 invited guests came to the opening night at the “Gasteig HP8” site – named after the address Hans-Preißinger-Straße 8 in the Munich district of Sendling. On site, they experienced a refreshing new start, for which the festival director and artistic co-director Christoph Gröner and the artistic co-director Julia Weigl have been responsible since this year.
“We are of course excited, but above all we are happy because for us it basically started yesterday, with 5,000 young people at the Museum Brandhorst, a cinema screening and panel events,” Weigl told the news agency spot on news about the warm-up Friday. “So it was a kind of soft start for us – and now we can really get started,” she beamed on the red carpet.
Christine Neubauer, Rick Okon, Aylin Tezel – Celebrities on the red carpet
The many prominent premiere guests were also full of anticipation, including “Tatort” star Lisa Bitter (40), “Eberhoferkrimi” antihero Daniel Christensen (45), Michaela May (72), Janina Uhse (34), Lara Mandoki (34), Rosalie Thomass (36), Walter Sittler (71), Sunnyi Melles (65), Heio von Stetten (63), Suzanne von Borsody (66), Hannes Jaenicke (64) and Stephanie Krogmann (38), Nikolai Kinski (47), Marie Theres Relin (58) and Dieter Landuris (62).
A particularly positive appearance on the actually turquoise carpet was actress Christine Neubauer (62). In her figure-hugging black one-piece, she demonstrated how well she was doing. This was due, among other things, to the high temperatures of a tropical night. “I thrive in higher temperatures. I generally feel better in the heat, but I don’t tolerate the cold so well. So I’m not going to complain about the temperatures today,” she said happily. Another reason for her good mood: “This is my first time in the new Gasteig and I think it’s sensational here,” she enthused about the temporary location for the Gasteig cultural center. And then, of course, there is a certain feeling of home. “The Munich Film Festival always reminds me of my beginnings. I haven’t been here for a long time and now I happen to be in town and can experience it. I’m very happy about that,” said the Munich native and Mallorcan by choice.
“Das Boot” star Rick Okon (35) was also in a great mood: “I’m happy because it’s really a very nice and family-friendly event. It’s summer, people are in a good mood. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of colleagues I haven’t seen for a long time and to a nice party,” he said. When asked, however, he did admit to a certain conflict with the European Championship round of 16 match between Germany and Denmark, which was taking place almost at the same time. “Absolutely yes. Maybe I’ll have to go to the toilet for a bit,” he laughed. “But I’ve come to see the film, which I’m really looking forward to.”
Colleague Aylin Tezel (40), who was part of the Dortmund “Tatort” team with Okon, took the football match quite lightly: “Personally, I’m not at all conflicted about it,” she laughed. “But I’ve already heard from several colleagues that they have their cell phones with them and will secretly watch the football match.” The actress praised the film festival itself highly: “I’m particularly pleased that it’s a summer festival. Very relaxed, very pleasant atmosphere.” Other plus points: “That you can watch films and jump into the Isar to cool off, that you meet colleagues and can celebrate films together.”
Multi-talented Marie Nasemann (35) was also happy to be there: “I’m most looking forward to Munich itself,” said the Berlin resident, who had traveled to her hometown for the film festival. In terms of content, she was particularly excited “about all the panel discussions that will take place in the Amerikahaus, for example on the topic of AI or ‘humor in film’.” She herself will be speaking this Sunday about “mental health in the film industry.” She did not sense a conflict of interest between the film festival and football. “I like watching the Germany games, but I don’t think I’ll miss anything in the next few days,” she said.
Festival director Weigl was also not worried: “For us, cinema is actually our football,” she laughed, adding pragmatically: “You also have the last half hour and can then take a quick look and hopefully watch Germany win – and maybe in the end it will be ‘two to one’,” alluding to the opening film that was shown after the red carpet in the Isarphilharmonie concert hall. As we know, the football match did not end up being a “two to one,” but it was an all the more pleasing “two to nil.”
International guests – especially Kate Winslet
One of this year’s two award winners was also seen on the opening night. US actress and two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange (75, “Tootsie”, “Operation Blue Sky”) made a flying visit to the red carpet. She will receive her award on Sunday.
British actress Kate Winslet (48, “The Reader”), the other big and Oscar-winning Hollywood star who will receive the Munich Film Festival Prize this year, was apparently not yet in town. Of course, she was still the topic of conversation on the red carpet. The guests at the official opening event agreed:
“I associate her with ‘Titanic’, of course, but also with many other great films. She is also said to be a very likeable woman in private,” said Rick Okon. Aylin Tezel enthused: “For me, she will always be the leading actress in the film of the century, ‘Titanic’. This film made history. But I also really enjoy watching all of her other projects. She always stands for quality and exciting content and is simply a very inspiring woman.”
And festival organizer Weigl added: “I grew up with Kate Winslet as a teenager. She was one of my first heroines because, even after ‘Titanic’, she played a lot of female roles that also stood for emancipation, self-confidence and an image of beauty that we also want to see on the big screen. That’s why she is a very special actress for me.”
Opening film “Two to One” inspires
The opening film by the completely overwhelmed director and screenwriter Natja Brunckhorst (57), who became famous as a teenager in the title role in the drug drama “Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo” (1981), was very well received. The German-German ensemble comedy “Two to One” is inspired by true events that are listed in the credits. This gave the entertaining film, which is set in the midsummer of 1990 in a remote region of the GDR, an absurd seriousness.
Maren (Sandra Hüller, 46), Robert (Max Riemelt, 40) and Volker (Ronald Zehrfeld, 47) find the GDR banknotes secretly stored in an old shaft. Because the exchange period has almost expired, the millions are now actually worthless. Nevertheless, together with someone who knows the tunnels well, they smuggle sacks of banknotes out. With the help of the entire, also rather disillusioned neighborhood, they find a way not to turn the GDR banknotes into money after all…
Ursula Werner (80), Peter Kurth (67), Uwe Preuss (63) and many more can be seen in other roles. Almost all of them traveled to Munich for the film screening. The big public premiere at the Munich Film Festival will take place on July 1st in the Deutsches Theater. Sandra Hüller will also be there then.
All in all, Dr. Florian Herrmann, Bavarian State Minister for Federal Affairs and Media, summed it up to the delight of the guests in the hall: “Of course there is Cannes, the Berlinale and many more, but the real film festival of the hearts is Munich.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
