The Playmaker has taken international sales rights to Nikias Chryssos’ English-language debut, the supernatural body-horror pic “Bloody Tennis.” The Playmaker will launch international sales on the film at the American Film Market in Los Angeles.
The film, which is produced by Augenschein, was written by Chryssos. The Greek-German filmmaker broke out with his 2015 feature “Der Bunker,” which debuted at Berlinale and won the Next Wave Award for best feature at Fantastic Fest in Austin. His second feature film “A Pure Place” was developed in the Résidence du Festival de Cannes and premiered at the Munich Film Festival, where it won the award for best director.
“Bloody Tennis” stars Sandra Guldberg Kampp (“Foundation”), Golden Globe nominee Helena Zengel (“News of the World,” “The Legend of Ochi”), Lucie Zhang (“Paris, 13th District”), Lily Taieb (“The French Dispatch,” “Bergman Island”), Elina Löwensohn (“Schindler’s List”), and Zlatko Burić (“Triangle of Sadness”), with an original score from Jim Williams (“Titane,” “Raw,” “Possessor”).
The horror film takes the world of elite sports to disturbing new extremes, filled with brutal ambition, blood-sucking leeches, and hard-hitting serves. After being admitted to an elite tennis academy hidden deep in the south of Europe, Sophie (Guldberg Kampp) must contend not only with the fierce brutality of her teammates but with the school’s increasingly sinister undercurrents, where competitive sports are taken to their extreme and only the hungriest survive.
The film is a German production, produced by Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo (“The Assessment,” “Mother Mary”) of Augenschein in co-production with Port au Prince Film & Kultur Produktion, which also acts as the German distributor, and ZDF. It is supported by Film-und Medienstiftung and German Federal Film Fund (DFFF).
Moritz Hemminger, head of sales and acquisitions at The Playmaker, said, “We are delighted to be working with the prestigious Augenschein team. In ‘Bloody Tennis,’ Nikias Chryssos once again demonstrates his original style as a director, which is why our international distributors can look forward to a wild, bloody, and highly entertaining horror film.”
Jonas Katzenstein, producer at Augenschein, added, “Nikias Chryssos’ films are unmistakable in their visual style—intoxicating, absurd, and darkly comic. He consistently confronts audiences with bold, disturbing visions that challenge and reward in equal measure. We are thrilled to continue working with such a singular talent, and to partner with The Playmaker and the extraordinary filmmaking team who brought this wild ride to life.”
