Still: They Shot the Piano Player - Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal

The festivals opening film will be They Shot the Piano Player** (min. co-prod. Submarine, sales: Film Constellation) by Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal. The artsy, melodic animation documentary world premiered at Telluride Film Festival in the US, screened at Toronto IFF and was selected for the Sounds section in Zurich. The film portrays a New York music journalist who sets out to discover the truth behind the tragic disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr.

Glass, My Unfulfilled Life is celebrating its international premiere in the Newcomers competition. The funny and melancholic “coming of old age” doc by Rogier Kappers was part of IDFA Luminous where it made it to the IDFA Audience Award top 10. Before attending the documentary fest in Amsterdam, SEE NL interviewed Kappers on his midlife crisis self-portrait in which he decides to pursue a boyhood dream: to become a famous musician on the glass organ.

Part of the Film Forward competition section is Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat* (min. co-prod. BALDR Film) by Johan Grimonprez, having its European premiere. The Dutch minority co-production world premiered at Sundance where it won the Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. We spoke to Frank Hoeve, producer at BALDR Film, before heading to Sundance. 

Occupied City by Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen is one of the festivals Top Docs. It world premiered as a Special Screening at Cannes, screened at Telluride Film Festival (among others) and has a release by A24 in prospect. The documentary is based on the book Atlas of an Occupied City by Bianca Stigter and is produced by Family Affair Films, sales are handled by A24.

Lastly, in the Open Horizons programme, is Silent Tears (prod. Witfilm) by Kees-Jan Mulder and Jaap van Heusden.

More information on Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival here.

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Production Incentive