Picture Tree Int’l To Launch Marc Rothemund’s Father & Son Autism, Soccer Club Comedy-Drama ‘Weekend Rebels’ At EFM; Unveils First Image

EXCLUSIVE: Picture Tree Int’l (PTI) has boarded sales on German Sophie Scholls – The Final Days Oscar-nominee and hitmaker Marc Rothemund’s heart-warming family drama Weekend Rebels, inspired by the true story of a father who forged a special bond with his autistic son through the search for a perfect soccer club.

The film, currently in post-production, is produced by Justyna Muesch, Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann.

Their Oscar-winning banner Wiedemann & Berg Film company has delivered a slew of award-winning pictures over the years including The Lives Of Others, Never Look Away and Who Am I. SevenPictures Film co-produces.

Leonine Studios is also on board and will release the film in Germany on September 28, 2023.

Florian David Fitz (Welcome to Germany, Vincent Wants To Sea) leads the German cast as a father who gets closer to his 10-year-old autistic son through a quest to find a soccer club they can support together, in return for the boy making more effort at school.

The boy demands they travel and watch all the 1st, 2nd and even 3rd division clubs play in their home grounds before he makes up his mind.

His criteria are also strict: the chosen club must not have a silly mascot, must be environmentally sustainable, must have handicapped-accessible toilets, must not have Nazis among its fans and the players must not wear shoes that are too colorful.

The moving comedy-drama is based on the true story of Mirco and Jason von Juterczenka, which they published in their book We Weekend Rebels. The screenplay was written by award-winning Richard Kropf (Kleo, 4 Blocks, Para – We are King)

Popular German actor Fitz’s credits include Welcome to Germany, Vincent Wants To Sea and he also recently starred in Oskars Kleid, as a man whose young son wants to be a girl, which grossed $4.7M over the autumn.

Further cast members include Aylin Tezel (7500, Almanya: Welcome to Germany), Joachim Król (All About Me) and the newcomer Cecilio Andresen as the son.

Awarding-winning Pagan Peak cinematographer Philip Peschlow is responsible for the cinematography.

PTI will show the first promo reel for Weekend Rebels at the EFM and has released a first still ahead of the market.

Rothemund made his international breakthrough in 2005 with Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, which won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale and was then Oscar-nominated.

Subsequent credits include Single by Contract (2010), My Blind Date With Life (2017) and This Crazy Heart (2018), which was a big hit at home and travelled widely for a worldwide gross of $47.4M.

PTI’s Berlinale-EFM slate also includes John Malkovich starring drama Seneca – On The Creation Of Earthquakes, Hans Steinbichler’s A Whole Life, which is also currently in post-production, and recently completed titles The Chapel by Dominique Deruddere and Göteborg title The First Snow Of Summer by Chris Raiber