Private Project

Morti's Law

Two unequal detectives need to solve the mysterious murder case of a hotel manager. But the deeper they dig the more both of them realize that the case has gotten much more personally then they thought.

  • Marcel Wohlfahrt
    Director
  • Natalie Kölbl
    Director
    Intension
  • Robert Peichl
    Writer
    Intension, Take Me Home
  • Natalie Kölbl
    Producer
  • Marcel Wohlfahrt
    Producer
  • Michael Marwitz
    Key Cast
    "Mortimer Graves"
    Tatort München, Der Staatsanwalt, Henry, Patient 39, All Eyes On You, Die Mauer, Bis zum Mond, Dir Nah
  • Patrick Loose
    Key Cast
    "Patrick Shepherd"
    Intension, Nachtschwärmer
  • Stefan Müller-Doriat
    Key Cast
    "Steven Fairchild"
    Intension, Der Stille Soldat, Brechts Dreigroschenfilm
  • Natalie Kölbl
    Directors of Photography
    Take Me Home
  • Jonathan Kaufmann
    Composer
  • Natalie Kölbl
    Editor
    Intension, Take Me Home, Paartherapie
  • Marcel Wohlfahrt
    Editor
    Intension
  • Vanessa Wollenschläger
    Sound Mixing
    Intension, Der Stille Soldat
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Morti's Law
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Crime, Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 30, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    RED RAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2,55:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Niederrhein Filmfestival
    Wesel
    Germany
    March 4, 2018
    Weltpremiere
    Gute Nachbarn
  • Independent Starfilmfest
    Freising
    Germany
    June 29, 2018
    Bayern
    Best Narrative (Bronze Award)
  • 13th Street Shocking Shorts
    München
    Germany
    July 6, 2018
    Premiere in München
    Official Selection
  • Orlando Film Festival
    Orlando
    United States
    October 25, 2018
    USA Premiere
    Best Student Short (Official Selection)
  • Hollywood International Moving Pictures Festival
    Los Angelos
    United States
    Best Comedy/Dramedy (Semi-Finalist)
  • Wettbewerb um den Jugendfilmpreis
    Stuttgart
    Germany
    December 6, 2018
    Baden-Württemberg Premiere
    Best Visual Effects (Winner)
  • Chiemseer Kurzfilmtage
    Prien
    Germany
    July 20, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Paris Play Film Festival (July 2020 Edition)
    Paris
    France
    August 14, 2020
    France Premiere
    Best Drama Film (Semi-Finalist)
  • Florence Film Awards (July 2020 Edition)
    Florence
    Italy
    Best Actor (Winner), Best Student Film (Honorable Mention)
  • Oniros Film Awards (July 2020 Edition)
    Saint-Vincent
    Italy
    Best Short Film (Grand Jury Award), Best Detective Film (Winner), Best Actor (Finalist), Best Comedy Film (Finalist)
  • Vegas Movie Awards (August 2020 Edition)
    Las Vegas
    United States
    Best Student Film (Award of Excellence), Best Actor (Award of Prestige), Best Narrative Short (Semi-Finalist), Best Film of the Month (Semi-Finalist)
  • New York International Film Awards (July 2020 Edition)
    New York
    United States
    Best Short Film (Winner), Best Detective Film (Winner), Best Actor (Finalist)
  • Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards (Summer 2020 Edition)
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Comedy/Dramedy Short (Semi-Finalist)
  • European Cinematography Awards (August 2020 Edition)
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    Best Short Film (Finalist), Best Actor (Finalist), Best Film Poster (Finalist)
  • Top Shorts (August 2020 Edition)
    Online Event
    United States
    Indie Short (Winner), Best Actor (Winner), Narrative Short (Semi-Finalist)
  • Los Angeles Film Awards (August 2020 Edition)
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Indie Short (low budget) (Winner), Narrative Short (Semi-Finalist), Actor (Semi-Finalist)
  • New York Movie Awards (August 2020 Edition)
    New York
    United States
    Short Film (Finalist), Best Actor (Finalist)
  • Best Actor Award (July/August 2020 Edition)
    New York
    United States
    Best Actor in a Noir/Detective Film (Platinum Award)
  • New York Cinematography Awards (August 2020 Edition)
    New York
    United States
    Best Short Film (Finalist), Best Actor (Finalist)
  • Short Cinefest (September 2020 Edition)
    Online Event
    Best Crime Film (Winner)
  • Cyrus International Monthly Festival (September 2020 Edition)
    Toronto
    Canada
    Best Student Short Film (Semi-Finalist), Best Actor in Short (Semi-Finalist)
  • Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival (Autumn 2020)
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Short Film (Official Selection)
  • Golden Short Film Festival (1st Quarter Competition 2020-2021)
    Abruzzo
    Italy
    Golden Drama Short (Official Selection), Golden Actor (Official Selection)
Distribution Information
  • NBC Universal
    Country: Germany
    Rights: Video / Disc, Paid TV
  • Amazon Prime
    Sales Agent
    Country: Germany
    Rights: Video on Demand
Director Biography - Marcel Wohlfahrt, Natalie Kölbl

Marcel Wohlfahrt (born 1994) was a student at the SAE Institute in Stuttgart until April 2019, where he studied "Digital Film Production". He is also a freelance director and editor. He discovered his passion for films during his school days and has since then followed his path in the company of a camera. With the film "Morti's Law" he started his film career in partnership with his fellow student Natalie Kölbl.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Two unequal detectives, one body, one case. Sounds like a standard mystery comedy at first. But "Morti's Law" is more than that.

My first thought in developing the script was to serve not only the mainstream audience. Why not do something strange for once? Why not just change the genre in the middle of the movie? At the beginning the story of the two detectives seems like a crime comedy, which develops into a drama as the film progresses. Thus, the movie got a deeper ending. "Morti's Law" shouldn't only serve as entertainment, which you can enjoy along with popcorn, but also makes you think about the story itself as well as about your own life.

Personally, I count myself among the big fans of "Kangaroo Chronicles" by Mark-Uwe Kling, because in his short stories you always come across jokes even after reading them several times.
In "Morti's Law" a narrator leads through the plot. With his charming honest manner he resembles a spectator and every now and then adds a funny commentary to the investigations. The interaction of the narrator with the two detectives always makes the viewer smile. Apart from the story, the set design also shows an interesting mixture of different eras, which underlines this absurd plot development.

With "Morti's Law" a short film was created that makes the audience laugh, cry and most of all think.