Berlinale Competition Film ‘The Loneliest Man in Town’ Boarded by Be For Films for Worldwide Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

International sales company Be For Films has boarded “The Loneliest Man in Town” ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale.

“The Loneliest Man in Town” is directed by Austrian directing duo Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, whose most recent feature, “Vera”, premiered in Venice’s Horizons section in 2022, winning best director and best actress (for Vera Gemma); and going on to represent Austria in the Oscar race.

Set in Vienna, “The Loneliest Man in Town” centers on blues musician Al Cook, born Alois Koch, who plays a version of himself in a quietly devastating meditation on memory, grief and resistance to erasure. Living among vinyl records, books and videotapes – relics of a life once fully lived — Al finds his fragile balance shattered when a real estate company targets his home for demolition, forcing him to confront both material and emotional dispossession.

True to Covi and Frimmel’s signature filmmaking style, the film boasts a cast of non-professional actors and was shot on Super 16mm.

The duo’s previous films include “La Pivellina,” which won the Europa Cinemas Label at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, “The Shine of Day,” which earned the Silver Leopard for best actor at Locarno, and “Mister Universo,” recipient of the Fipresci Award in Locarno.

“The Loneliest Man in Town” reteams Covi and Frimmel with Pamela Leu’s Brussels-based company Be For Films after “Mister Universo” and “Vera.” Leu described the arthouse movie as an “intimate, unique story is led by a truly singular character.” “We can’t wait for international audiences to discover,” ompetition selection “a powerful platform” for the film’s global launch.

Covi and Frimmel, meanwhile, said Al Cook “embodies an uncompromising spirit and extraordinary talent, carrying the blues in his soul despite never having set foot in America.”

“Inspired by his remarkable individuality, we tell a story of loneliness, loss, and lived passion,” the directors continued.

Covi and Frimmel also produced the film via their company Vento Film. Co-producers are Österreichisches Filminstitut, OFI+, Filmfonds Wien and ORF Film/Fernseh-Abkommen.

Be For Films’ Berlinale slate also includes “Enjoy Your Stay,” co-directed by Swiss filmmaker Dominik Locher and Filipino screenwriter Honeylyn Joy Alipio. The film is slated to premiere in the Panorama section.