Still: Melk

Melk**, Stefanie Kolk’s debut feature  is selected for Venice Giornate degli Autori. The short films she previously directed, Clan (2016), Harbour* (2017) and Eyes on the Road* (2019), all premiered at Locarno. Clan (Stefanie’s graduation film) won multiple awards, including Best Fiction Film at La Guarimba in Italy and an Honourable Mention at the Split Film Festival. In 2019 Stefanie participated in Berlinale Talents and Melk has been developed at among others Berlinale Script Station.

Melk is written by  Stefanie Kolk and Nena van Driel and is produced by Lemming Film. The film portrays a young woman (played by Frieda Barnhard), who after her baby is stillborn bravely starts a difficult quest to donate her milk.

Earlier this week Venice Film Festival unveiled the programme of its main competition and also the Orizzonti and Venice Immersive competitions. Dutch short Wander to Wonder* by Nina Gantz is part of the Orizzonti section. The stop-motion animated film is produced by Circe Films and is about Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton, who star in an animated kids' series. After the creator dies, they are left alone in the studio. Struggling to find enough to eat, they continue to make - increasingly strange - episodes for their fans. Sales are handled by Miyu Distribution.

After studying at the St. Joost in Breda, Nina Gantz graduated in directing animation at the NFTS in London. Her graduation film Edmond (2015) received 38 awards including the BIFA for Best Short Film, Best Short Animation at Sundance and a BAFTA for Best Animated Short. Wander to Wonder is her first independent stop-motion animation.

The Netherlands has a very strong presence in Venice Immersive this year. Five out of the 28 projects in the line-up of the competition for immersive works are Dutch VR (co-)productions. Celine Daemen, who was in Venice last year with Eurydice: Descent into Infinity, returns with her new VR opera Songs for a Passerby***. She is joined by Steye Hallema’s The Imaginary Friend***, Flow*** by Adriaan Lokman and Shadowtime***.  by Sister Sylvester and Demiz Tortum. Floating with Spirits* by  Belgian filmmaker Juanita Onzaga is minority co-produced by Studio Biarritz.  

Other Dutch minority co-productions that are presented on the Lido: Holly** by Fien Troch (Belgium) and co-produced by Topkapi Films and Tabaki Film is selected for the main competition, Volya Films’ co-production City of Wind* by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (Mongolia) is presented in the Orizzonti programme and Forever-Forever* by Ukrainian filmmaker Anna Buryachkova and co-produced by Rinkel Film is screened in Orizzonti Extra.

The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival takes place 30 August -  9 September.

*supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Netherlands Production Incentive
***supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Creative Industries Fund (Immerse\Interact)