Finnish international sales agent and executive producer for films and TV series The Yellow Affair is bringing a diverse slate of productions to the upcoming European Film Market (EFM, 12-18 February). Its line-up includes the Berlinale Panorama title Árru (Norway/Sweden/Finland), directed by Elle Sofe Sara, and Visar Morina’s Shame and Money [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Visar Morina
fiche film] (Germany/Kosovo/Slovenia/Albania/North Macedonia/Belgium), the winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize (see the news).

Árru focuses on Sámi reindeer herder Maia (Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska). As a mining project encroaches on her ancestral land, she is determined to fight, seeking help from her uncle, while reopening old family scars. This choice forces the young woman to decide whether to save the land at the cost of her family or surrender it to break the silence.

On the other hand, Shame and Money describes the events that unfold after a couple in their forties, who live on a farm with their extended family in rural Kosovo, lose their livelihood owing to a family dispute and are forced to move to Pristina.

Also coming off the back of strong festival runs are Joscha Bongard’s satirical drama Babystar [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Joscha Bongard
fiche film], which had its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and Jonas Ulrich’s Wolves [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Jonas Ulrich
fiche film], which premiered at the Zurich Film Festival and later screened at Göteborg. In Berlin, The Yellow Affair’s team will also be presenting Helen Walsh’s drama On the Sea, selected as part of the BFI and the British Council’s GREAT 8 Cannes showcase of the films most likely to garner festival and critical acclaim, supported by the BBC and Film4.

In terms of family offerings, the company is representing Natascha Beller’s Splish Splash Forever! and Pixie. The New Beginning [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film], written and directed by Krzysztof Komander. The former follows 11-year-old Pola, who is determined to save the Splish Splash swimming pool so her best friend will return. The latter tells the story of Hania, also 11, who faces ridicule for believing in pixies. In order to save the fantasy world she created with her recently deceased mother, she’ll have to convince everyone that the fairy-tale creatures really do exist.

Miki, a Slovakian miniseries (4x50 minutes) by Jakub Kroner, will also enrich the catalogue. The series is a story extension stemming from Černák and Miki [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film], respectively the first and third highest-grossing films in the modern era of Slovak cinema (see the news). This crime-thriller follows Miki, originally a bus driver, who returns to his native village from abroad and gradually discovers his ability to build one of the largest and most-feared mafia groups in the country.

Currently in post-production are Irasj Asanti’s Fighter and Kim Sundbeck’s The Greenest Grass. The former centres on Sara, a young MMA fighter chasing her dream of becoming a professional while concealing a forbidden love with Andrea. In fact, her father, whom she looks up to, expects her to one day take over the family-owned halal butcher shops and sees martial arts as nothing more than a hobby; thus, he forces her into an arranged marriage. The latter is a romantic comedy focusing on relationship boundaries and unfaithfulness, produced by Anagram Sweden.

“We are proud to be representing these titles, all of which are unique and memorable. Our line-up reflects our commitment to distinctive storytelling, cultural diversity and ambitious filmmaking. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to introduce upcoming projects such as Fighter, supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, which will be presented in Spotlight On: The Nordics | WIP Selection of Feature Films from the Five Nordics,” said sales executive Alexandra Cruz. CEO Steven Bestwick added: “We are very excited to start the year with what we feel is a strong and diverse slate of titles that we are sure will spark conversation. We are so delighted for the filmmakers behind Shame and Money, with their Grand Jury Prize win from Sundance, and it gives us great momentum leading up to Berlin.”