Barbara Sukowa (Katerina Jones) stars as Nina in TWO OF US (Deux). Nina and Madeleine (Martine Chevallier), are two retired women who have secretly been in love with one another for decades. To everyone else (including Madeleine’s family) they are simply neighbours living on the top floor of their building. They come and go between their separate apartments, but are effectively living together. Then, one day, an unexpected event leads Madeleine’s daughter to deduce the truth about them, and Madeleine is snatched away from Nina. The landing that separates their apartments turns into a bottomless pit that they will try to bridge at any cost, just to be together again. TWO OF US is Italian filmmaker Filippo Meneghetti‘s first feature, and will have its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

Sukowa is also Philippa in the Wolfgang Groos comedy ENKEL FÜR ANFÄNGER (Grandson for Beginners), about two pensioners, Karin (Maren Kroymann) and Gerhard (Heiner Lauterbach), who have little to do since their children moved away, and are not in the mood for conventional seniors’ activities. They get some inspiration from Philippa, who is living as a “godfather granny”. Karin and Gerhard go on a quest to find godchild grandchildren of their own, and the not-so-young beginners must deal with hyperactive siblings, helicopter parents, and single moms with Tinder profiles. Written by Robert Lohr, ENKEL FÜR ANFÄNGER completed filming in North Rhine-Westphalia in June and will be released in Germany on 19 March .

Emily Hampshire (Jennifer Goines) will star as Meredith in the horror/mystery HOME. Meredith and her husband Jared (François Arnaud) separate after the death of their newborn son Alex, and a supernatural entity is determined to keep them apart. Left alone in her house, Meredith becomes convinced that her son is still alive. She is unaware that the death of her child has precipitated the birth of something sinister. Christian Convery (one of the vampire children in Episode 1.11 of VAN HELSING) is also in the cast. Directed by Adam O’Brien from a screenplay by Phillip Kalin-Hajdu, HOME is currently filming in Montreal.

Courtney Deelen (Markridge board member in “Paradox“) is Texas Red Tempest in BECOMING BURLESQUE, the story of Fatima (Shiva Negar), a shy young Muslim woman raised in a family of mixed cultures who is drawn into the empowering world of a burlesque cabaret. She unleashes “Babylon”, her brave and confident burlesque alter ego. At one point, Catcha Foxx (played by Pastel Supernova, who was Maeve in the LOST GIRL episode “Caged Fae“) explains to Fatima the difference between stripping and burlesque. “Stripping,” she says, “is about males projecting their fantasies onto you. Burlesque is about you projecting your fantasies onto them.” (Many of the dancers in the film, including Supernova, are real-life burlesque practitioners.) BECOMING BURLESQUE will be released in the US on 27 August and can be pre-ordered from iTunes. A trailer is available on YouTube.

And Deelen directed HUNTER’S CHANCE, a short film about a contract killer (Nicole St. Martin) who is given a chance to settle her debt with one last hit. Written by Amanda Joy, HUNTER’S CHANCE is an official selection of the 2019 Oaxaca Film Fest.

Victoria Emslie (Amelia in “Die Glocke”) will be Susannah in LOVE TYPE D, a light satire on the perils of modern dating which stars Maeve Dermody as Frankie, a woman who is dumped in an indirect and interesting way by her latest boyfriend Thomas (Oliver Farnworth). (Thomas has his eleven year old brother Wilbur break the news to her at a restaurant.) Frankie has been dumped by no fewer than eleven boyfriends, and Wilbur tells her that scientists have discovered that some people are genetically predisposed to be dumpees, and there is a test to prove it. The only solution, says Wilbur, is to go out again with everyone one has ever dated (whether they be dead or alive) and dump them instead.

Writer/director Sasha Collington described the film to Serena Seghedoni of Loud and Clear. “Love Type D draws on people’s fears,” she said. “They fear there might be something wrong with them that isn’t wrong with other people. The film is really about reminding you that you’re master of your own destiny. The romantic comedy genre is evolving, and romantic comedies don’t necessarily need to end with a relationship being the answer to your problem. The film reminds people that they can’t really change anyone else’s behaviour, but they can change their own.” LOVE TYPE D had its premiere screening in June at the 2019 Edinburgh International Film Festival.







