Austrian-German production company Schubert is moving forward with a slate of films by distinctive auteur filmmakers, among them the historical drama “Rose,” by Austrian writer-director Markus Schleinzer and starring Sandra Hüller (“The Zone of Interest”).
Founded by Johannes Schubert in 2020, the Vienna and Berlin-based company partnered with ROW Pictures in Leipzig and Munich’s Walker + Worm Film on “Rose,” Schleinzer’s third feature, which follows a 17th-century woman who, disguised as a man, begins a new life in a protestant village at the end of the Thirty Years’ War. Repped internationally by The Match Factory and currently in advanced post-production, the Austrian-German co-production is set for release this year.
Also in the works is the upcoming feature debut “Keep Quiet” by Franz Böhm, who just picked up a BAFTA for his short “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Marking their second collaboration after the Hot Docs breakthrough “Dear Future Children,” the English-language political thriller, co-directed by Suli Kurban, centers on two journalists trying to shed light on the alleged imprisonment of Uyghur people in internment camps in Western China.
Schubert presented the film this week at the EFM’s Berlinale Co-Production Market to close financing. Production is scheduled to commence later this year. Producer Malte Grunert (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) is serving as executive producer on the film, which has secured backing from broadcasters SWR, Arte, BR and ORF as well as funders MFG Film Funding, the German Federal Film Board (FFA), FFF Bayern, HessenFilm, the Austrian Film Institute and the Vienna Film Fund.
Schubert and Böhm, both alumni of the U.K.’s National Film and Television School, are continuing their collaboration beyond “Keep Her Quiet” with the development of another English-language feature.
Schubert is likewise re-teaming with Austrian writer-director Jessica Hausner following their first collaboration on the 2023 Cannes competition title “Club Zero” alongside Philippe Bober’s Coproduction Office.
They are developing the auteur’s third English-language film, “Toxic,” with support from the Austrian Film Institute and the Vienna Film Fund. The intended pan-European co-production explores the complexities of the modern workplace and its destructive effects on the individual in a turbo-capitalist system. Principal photography is planned for 2026.
In addition to its majority productions, Schubert is also serving as a minority partner in a number of high-profile European co-productions. Among them is family drama “Our Girls,” by Oscar-winning Dutch writer-director Mike van Diem.
Johannes Schubert, Mike van Diem, Angelika Pagitz (Cine Tirol), Martin Gschlacht
Credit: Nyk Dekeyser
The film follows two couples on holiday in the Austrian Alps whose long-standing friendship is tested following an accident involving their teenage daughters. Austrian cinematographer Martin Gschlacht, who nabbed a Berlinale Silver Bear last year for his work on Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s “The Devil’s Bath,” shot “Our Girls” entirely against the backdrop of Austria’s spectacular landscapes.
Amsterdam-based Keplerfilm is leading the Dutch-Austrian-Belgian co-production, which is currently in post-production and expected to premiere this year.
The company is strengthening its structure with a growing team in Austria and Germany to support its growing production slate while remaining compact and dynamic to meet the needs of each project, according to Schubert. By focusing on long-term partnerships, the company aims to build sustainable partnerships, growing alongside filmmakers, fellow producers and industry partners across production and distribution, he adds.
“We will go where the filmmakers take us,” Schubert says of his company’s director-led producing approach.