(Variety) Berlin Generation Contender ‘Mission Ulja Funk’ Boarded By PTI (EXCLUSIVE)

By Leo Barraclough

Picture Tree International has acquired international rights to “Mission Ulja Funk,” which has been selected for Berlin Film Festival’s youth-centric Generation KPlus competition.

The film, which is the debut feature of German writer/director Barbara Kronenberg, is about the 12 year old girl Ulja, who sets out on a road trip in a stolen hearse to Eastern Europe to witness the impact of an asteroid she discovered.

Kronenberg studied at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, and her graduation film “The Ballade of Ella Plummhoff” screened at more than 50 festivals and received numerous awards, including a nomination for the prestigious German First Steps Award.

“Mission Ulja Funk” is produced by Roshanak Behesht Nedjad’s outfit In Good Company (Germany) with pubcaster MDR in co-production with Samsa Films (Luxemburg) and Shipsboy (Poland).

The film received German funding from the German Ministry of Culture (BKM) and the DFFF as well as regional funding from MDM and Filmstiftung NRW. The Luxembourg Film Fund as well as the Polish Film Institute also supported the coproduction.

PTI’s other youth oriented films includes Dutch Academy Award Entry “Bulado,” Carlos Armella’s “Go Youth!” (Mexico), “My Extraordinary Summer With Tess” (the Netherlands) and “Beware of Children” (Norway).

Already announced for a market premiere at Berlin’s EFM are Gothenburg Nordic Competition entry “Persona Non Grata” (Denmark) and “Diana’s Wedding” (Norway).

https://variety.com/2021/film/festivals/pti-berlinale-ulja-funk-1234903159/