Minerva Pictures at the European Film Market 2025: New Titles and Exclusive Screenings
5 February 2025
In February, Minerva Pictures will attend the EFM with its acquisition, production, digital distribution, and international sales teams. We will also have a presence at the Berlinale with two films for Italian distribution in the official competition selection: The Safe House by Lionel Baier and What Does the Nature Say to You by Hong Sang-soo.
Our International Sales team will present a slate of new titles to the market, some available for pre-sales, including Agostino, directed by Andrea Pallaoro, a three-time Venice competition director. The film, currently in early development, is based on the famous novel of the same name by Alberto Moravia. Also on the lineup is Ice Skater, a survival thriller directed by Taavi Vartia and starring Thea Sofie Loch Næss, which tells the story of a young skater’s fight for survival in the icy wilderness of Northern Europe. Another highlight is “Judas’ Gospel” by Giulio Base, starring Rupert Everett, Paz Vega, John Savage, and Abel Ferrara, which tells the story of Jesus as recounted by Judas Iscariot in his apocryphal gospel. This film has already secured pre-sales in key territories such as Latin America, Romania, and Spain.
Minerva will also host on-site screenings for the new titles in its lineup, starting with a dedicated event for the international premiere of Il Nibbio – The Negotiator, directed by Alessandro Tonda and starring Claudio Santamaria and Sonia Bergamasco. The film recounts the incredible operation that led to the release of journalist Giuliana Sgrena, kidnapped in Iraq by a terrorist cell, and the sacrifice of Nicola Calipari, a senior Italian military secret agent, whose tragic death had a profound impact on public opinion and Italian politics. The film will be presented to a selected audience by the director and lead actor Claudio Santamaria.
Additionally, we will premiere Muori di lei – Close to Me, a romantic drama thriller directed by Stefano Sardo and starring Mariela Garriga (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), as well as Carol Doda: Topless at the Condor, a documentary fresh from Telluride. This feature recounts the story of the first dancer to perform topless in 1964, becoming a sensation and a San Francisco tourist attraction second only to the Golden Gate.
