Berlinale Film 'The Loneliest Man in Town' Sells to Major Markets

Mar 10, 2026 8:46am PT Berlinale Competition Movie ‘The Loneliest Man in Town’ Sells to Major Markets (EXCLUSIVE) By Elsa Keslassy Plus Icon Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent @elsakeslassy Latest Willem Dafoe Movie ‘The Souffleur’ Lands North American Distribution With Kino Lorber (EXCLUSIVE) 1 hour ago Film at Lincoln Center’s Daniel Battsek on Cultivating a New Generation of French Cinema Lovers 17 hours ago Top French and American Producers Unpack Financing Divide Between French and U.S. Indie Films 3 days ago See All Courtesy of Be For Films “The Loneliest Man in Town,” an Austrian film by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, which competed at the Berlin Film Festival, has attracted a raft of distributors on the heels of its world premiere. Brussels-based company Be For Films has sold the film to Germany (Weltkino Filmverleih), Spain (Avalon), Italy (Wanted), Japan (Mimosa Films), Brazil (Autoral Filmes), Benelux (Lumiere), Greece and Poland (Cinobo), Portugal (No Comboio), Bulgaria (Beta Film), Ex-Yugoslavia (Demiurg), Indonesia (Falcon) and Ukraine (Kyiv Music Film). Related Stories David Harewood on Landing First Lead in 40-Year Career in ‘Pierre’ – and Finally Being No. 1 on the Call Sheet: ‘Exciting Place to Be’ (EXCLUSIVE) The movie was previously acquired by KMBO (France), Xenix Filmdistribution (Switerland), A-One Films (Baltics) and New Cinema (Israel). Popular on Variety Set in Vienna and shot on Super 16mm, “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.Covi and Frimmel’s previous film “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. Pamela Leu – whose company Be For Films worked with Covi and Frimmel on “Mister Universo,” recipient of the Fipresci Award in Locarno, and “Vera” — described their new film as an “intimate, unique story is led by a truly singular character.” Variety’s review described the film as a “work of gently enveloping drama that draws from reality,” and pointed out the “soundtrack of rich recordings by blues greats like Lonnie Johnson and Bertha “Chippie” Hill.” Jump to Comments ‘F1′ Cinematographer Claudio Miranda on Creating Tension Through Framing and Why Las Vegas’ Neon Signs Were Challenging BFI and British Consulate-General Toast Oscar Weekend as U.K. Scores 40 Nominations (EXCLUSIVE) Australian Grand Prix: How to Watch 2026 F1 Season Opener Online for Free General Motors Takes Cadillac F1 Debut to Super Bowl PGA Award Nominations: ‘Weapons’ and ‘F1’ Join ‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ and More Apple Unveils 2026 Film Slate: Ryan Reynolds Fights a New War, Jonah Hill Gives Keanu Reeves the ‘Jay Kelly’ Treatment and ‘Matchbox’ Revs Up JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...