Picture Tree Intl. has acquired international sales rights for “Prank,” a family adventure-comedy directed by Benjamin Heisenberg (“The Robber”), who co-wrote the script with Peer Klehmet (“The Famous Five”).
PTI will present the film as a market premiere at the European Film Market in Berlin ahead of its German release this spring.
“Prank” follows 12-year-old Lucas Roosen and his Chinese exchange student Xi Zhou (Max Zheng), whose seemingly innocent April Fool’s prank spirals out of control. What begins as a harmless joke evolves into a chaotic adventure, drawing in a cast of misfit characters, including gangsters and bumbling police officers.
Leading the cast is Noèl Gabriel Kipp as Lucas, a mischievous yet endearing protagonist. Joining him is Max Zheng as Xi Zhou. The ensemble also includes Laura Tonke, Cedric Eich, Jana McKinnon, and Lukas Miko.
“ ‘Prank’ is a lively and heartwarming screwball comedy, showcasing Benjamin Heisenberg’s knack for combining humor and depth,” said Yuan Rothbauer-Sui, co-managing director of Picture Tree Intl.
The film was produced by Kundschafter Filmproduktion (Germany), in coproduction with Tellfilm (Switzerland).
It was supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM), the German Federal Film Board (FFA) and the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF).
From Switzerland the film received funding from the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Filmstandortförderung Schweiz (FiSS), and Innerschweizer Filmfachgruppe (IFFG). “Prank” is a coproduction with the public broadcasters KiKA, MDR, BR, HR and SRF/SRG SSR.
“Prank” joins Picture Tree’s diverse lineup, including “The Badgers,” a Norwegian family adventure about a scout’s journey to self-discovery; “Raptures,” an arthouse historical drama set in 1930s Sweden, which will premiere in the Big Screen Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; “Old White Man,” a satirical dramedy, which has already captured nearly a million admissions in Germany; “The Stolen Child,” a medieval fantasy epic from Canada; “The Osha Rule,” a supernatural crime thriller from Spain; “Divine Remedy,” an Icelandic comedy and follow-up to the comedy “Grand Finale”; and “Friedas’s Case,” a period drama by Academy Award nominated director Maria Brendle.
