Cannes Film Festival Featuring MDM-Funded Films "Invisible Demons" and "Magnetic Beats" and VR-Project "Biolum"
At the 74th edition of the in Cannes International Film Festival (July 6 to 17, 2021), two MDM-funded productions will have their world premiere: "Invisible Demons" by Rahul Jain, featured in the Cinema for the Climate special sidebar, which forms part of the Selection, and "Magnetic Beats" by Vincent Cardona in the Directors’ Fortnight, a section separate from the Selection. Altogether, five MDM-funded films will be featured at this year’s Cannes festival, four of them as part of the Selection. Additionally the VR narrative experience "Biolum" by Abel Kohen has been selected for the Cannes XR section.
After his international success with "Machines", director Rahul Jain has dedicated his new film "Invisible Demons" to the drastic repercussions of India’s economic growth, as illustrated by his hometown Delhi, where environmental pollution and the consequences of climate change are clearly felt at every turn. The co-production of Leipzig-based Ma.ja.de. Filmproduktions GmbH, Toinen Katse Oy (Finland) and Participant Media (USA) was realized with funding from MDM, the Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, and Yle (both of Finland). The entire audio and video post-production work was handled in Leipzig.
The coming-of-age film "Magnetic Beats" by Vincent Cardona dives deep into the punk culture of the 1980s. In a sleepy Breton village, a group of friends runs a pirate radio station. The group’s ringleader is the macho but charismatic Jerome, whose younger brother Philippe, the technology brain, lives in his shadow. An era ends when one day, Philippe is drafted and has to leave for West Berlin. The French-German film was co-produced by Easy Tiger, Srab Films, Gera-based Elemag Pictures, and Port au Prince Film & Kultur Produktion. "Magnetic Beats" was shot in Leipzig, Dresden, and Bad Düben, among other locations. In Germany, the film was co-funded by MDM, FFA/Mini Traité, and DFFF (German Federal Film Fund). "Magnetic Beats" will be brought to German cinemas by Port au Prince Pictures.
The VR narrative experience "Biolum" by Abel Kohen, produced by Leipzig-based Reynard Films, has been selected for the Cannes XR section and nominated for the VeeR Future Award 2021.
The MDM-funded productions "Berman Island" by Mia Hansen-Løve (Competition), "Great Freedom" by Sebastian Meise (Un Certain Regard), and "Evolution" by Kornél Mundruczó (Cannes Premiere) were announced as early as June 3 as entries in the Selection of this year’s Cannes International Film Festival.