Favourites
After falling out with her mother, rebellious Sofia wants to hitchhike to Italy in search of her biological father. In haste, she stuffs a few things in her backpack and sets off in the early hours of a Viennese summer morning. When she meets middle-aged Michael, who reluctantly agrees to give her a lift, the two strangers develop an unlikely friendship on their shared journey through the Austrian south.
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Martin MonkDirector
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Martin MonkWriter
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Michaela FinisProducer
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Lia WilfingKey Cast
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Christian DolezalKey Cast
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Johannes HößDoP
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Felix KalaivananEditor
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Project Title (Original Language):Favoriten
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Roadmovie
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Runtime:17 minutes 47 seconds
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Completion Date:April 30, 2019
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Country of Origin:Austria
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Country of Filming:Austria
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Language:German
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes
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Cannes Film FestivalCannes
France
May 22, 2019
World Premiere
Cinéfondation -
Sarajevo Film FestivalSarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
August 18, 2019
Southern European Premiere
Student Competition -
Raindance Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
September 22, 2019
UK Premiere
International Shorts – Competition
Distribution Information
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Premium FilmsCountry: FranceRights: All Rights
MARTIN MONK is a German film director and screenwriter of English and Russian descent born in Berlin in 1985. After studying history and philosophy he turned to fictional filmmaking, directing several self-produced short films before being selected by Michael Haneke as an M.A. Directing student at Film Academy Vienna. His latest work Favoriten traces the steps of a runaway girl in search of her father and is an Official Selection at the 72nd Festival de Cannes. Analog photography, a passion since youth, remains a major source of inspiration for his cinematic work. He lives in Berlin and Vienna.
The idea for "Favourites" came as I searched for a project to develop in my new hometown of Vienna where I had moved in 2017 to start my Directing degree. The feeling of being uprooted has been a constant throughout my own life, and awoke again as I relocated to Austria.
My film follows two strangers navigating their mutual mistrust of one another. At first glance, they have nothing at all in common. But slowly they open up, revealing themselves to each other and to the audience in the process. To their own surprise, they are much more alike than meets the eye.
Their brief shared journey remains meaningless without individual context. A roadtrip is simply a metaphor for the continuous change called life. But by the end, both have realized that while time seems to move forward, people tend to go round in circles.