Picture Tree International Airport has embarked on the international sale of Tanwea Productions’ real-time hostage thriller film “Last Call,” which is inspired by real-life events, and will release it to international buyers ahead of the European film market, including its premiere. The teaser will be premiered here.
Directed by Greek-Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Francis, “Last Call” takes place in Athens on New Year’s Eve 1999. As the world counts down to the new millennium, a desperate fugitive armed with a live grenade takes a family hostage and demands they be broadcast live on television. The situation, broadcast live in real time, involves young journalists, media executives, and a divided police force as the entire country watches as the case moves toward a tragic and irreversible conclusion.
“The film questions the intersection of media influence, power dynamics, and institutional failure. These themes resonate around the world beyond the story’s original setting,” the statement said.
Francis co-wrote the screenplay with Greek screenwriter Katerina Bey.
“With ‘Last Call,’ I wanted the audience to feel the same immediacy and uncertainty that I felt as a child watching real events unfold: no preparation, no running away, just the unpredictable pace of real time,” Francis explained.
The ensemble cast is led by Orpheus Avgustidis (Card Postale, The Other Me), Maria Nafpliotou (Café 404, Card Postale), Yorgos Benos (Maestro in Blue), and Dimitris Laros (Chlorin, The Flock of Sheep).
Produced by Dionyssis Samiotis of Tanweer Productions, “Last Call” was born out of the company’s “Tanweer Pitching Days” initiative and emerged from over 300 submissions.
“‘Last Call’ immediately caught our attention with its attractive real-time structure, real-life event hook, and international marketability,” said Andreas Rothbauer, founder and managing partner of Picture Tree International. “This is the kind of high-end European thriller that can strongly cross theatrical and premium platforms, and we are very pleased to bring it to the global market.”
Domestic theatrical release in Greece and Cyprus will be managed by Tanwea Alliance, with the goal of opening the film nationwide on March 19th in over 80 screens.
“Last Call” is produced by Tanweer Productions in collaboration with ERT, Hellenic Cinema Audiovisual Center – Creative Greece, NOVA and View Master Films, with support from EKKOMED.
