The Playmaker Acquires Zlin Film Festival Winner ‘What the Finn?!’ Ahead of German Films Previews (EXCLUSIVE)

Sales agency The Playmaker has signed with Lieblingsfilm to handle international sales for their Zlin Film Festival winner “What the Finn?!” (“Kannawoniwasein”).

“What the Finn?!” is based on the children’s book by Martin Muser, which was adapted for the screen by Klaus Döring, Adrian Bickenbach and Stefan Westerwelle, who is also the director of the film.

The film had its world premiere at Zlin, where it won the main prize, the Golden Slipper Award for Best Feature Film for Children.

The Playmaker will present “What the Finn?!” at the upcoming German Films Previews in Potsdam (July 5 – 8), where it will screen for international buyers.

The Playmaker describes the film as an endearing and funny road movie for the whole family about finding courage and self-confidence.

In the film, 10-year-old Finn feels lonely and forgotten. Since his parents’ divorce, he travels back and forth between his two homes by train. On his first unaccompanied journey, he is robbed by a man, and then meets the energetic 12-year-old Jola. A wild ride on a stolen tractor to the Baltic Sea begins as they are searched for by the police. They avoid dangerous traps, meet interesting people, and get to know themselves.

“With ‘What the Finn?!,’ our director Stefan Westerwelle has succeeded in creating a fairytale-like, adventurous road movie. He has a precise eye for and at eye level with the children’s target group. Chaos, fun and anarchy take up just as much space as the positive messages of friendship and the power of children’s discoveries,” Lieblingsfilm said in a statement.

“For the two main roles, we found two child actors in Miran Selcuk and Lotte Engels as Finn and Jola who develop a great chemistry with their natural acting and carry the film.

“This also convinced our world distributor The Playmaker and we are very happy to be working with them again after the international success of ‘Mountain Miracle.’”

Philipp Budweg, producer and CEO of Lieblingsfilm, said: “Right from the world premiere and at our first international festival in Zlin, we received confirmation of this: ‘What the Finn?!’ was awarded the main prize: Best Feature Film For Children.”

“What the Finn?!” is a production by Lieblingsfilm (Budweg) and Sad Origami (Klaus Döring) in co-production with Hessischer Rundfunk and Südwest Rundfunk. The production was supported and funded by HessenFilm & Medien, MDM, MV Filmförderung, BKM, FFA and DFFF. The local distributor is Weltkino, which will release the film on Aug. 17 in German cinemas.

Westerwelle’s recent credits include 2021’s “Black Clouds,” 2020’s “Into the Beat,” which won the Audience Award at Zlin, and 2018’s “Matti and Sami and the Three Biggest Mistakes in the Universe,” which was runner up at Chicago Children’s Film Festival.

Other credits include 2013’s “Lose Your Head,” which premiered at Berlin Film Festival, 2012 documentary “Detlef – 60 Years Gay,” which also premiered at Berlin, and 2007’s “As Long as You Are Here,” which premiered at Locarno Film Festival, receiving a Special Mention in the Cinéastes du Présent section, and won the Golden Lola for Best German Film.