Picture Tree International has secured the international sales rights to “Last Call,” a real-time hostage thriller produced by Tanweer Productions. The film, inspired by true events, is set to be showcased to international buyers ahead of the European Film Market (EFM), with market premiere screenings already planned.
Directed by Greek-Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Francis, “Last Call” unfolds on New Year’s Eve 1999 in Athens. The story centers around a desperate fugitive armed with a live grenade who takes a family hostage, demanding to go live on television as the world counts down to the new millennium. This intense situation draws in a young journalist, media executives, and a divided police force, capturing the attention of an entire nation as events spiral towards a tragic conclusion.
The film explores significant themes such as media influence, power dynamics, and institutional failure, which resonate globally beyond its original setting. In a statement, Francis noted, “With ‘Last Call,’ I wanted audiences to feel the same immediacy and uncertainty I felt watching the real event unfold as a child — no preparation, no escape, just the unpredictable pace of real time.”
The script for “Last Call” was co-written by Francis and Greek screenwriter Katerina Bei. The ensemble cast includes notable actors such as Orfeas Avgoustidis, Maria Nafpliotou, Yorgos Benos, and Dimitris Lalos. Produced by Dionyssis Samiotis for Tanweer Productions, “Last Call” emerged from the company’s “Tanweer Pitching Days” initiative, which sifted through over 300 submissions.
Andreas Rothbauer, founder and managing partner at Picture Tree International, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “Last Call immediately stood out to us for its gripping real-time structure, its true-event hook and its international marketability. It’s the kind of elevated European thriller that can travel strongly across theatrical and premium platforms, and we are very pleased to bring it to the global market.”
The domestic theatrical release in Greece and Cyprus will be managed by Tanweer Alliances, with plans for a nationwide rollout on March 19, 2024, targeting over 80 screens. “Last Call” is produced by Tanweer Productions in co-production with ERT, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece, NOVA, and View Master Films, with support from EKKOMED.
As anticipation builds for this gripping thriller, it promises to engage audiences with its timely and relevant themes, making it a noteworthy addition to the international film landscape.
