EXCLUSIVE: The German-French actress Jeanne Goursaud, known from Exterritorial, and German actor Aurel Mertz of Neo Tropic Tonight fame, have been cast as lead actors in the short film Unfit (Unfähig) by Austrian-American filmmaker Jason B. Kohl. This project is also set to be expanded into a full-length feature film.
In Unfit, Mertz portrays a beleaguered single dad who is unexpectedly visited by the estranged mother of his daughter, played by Goursaud. The reunion brings up old conflicts and leads to a disturbing request that promises to alter their lives drastically.
Kohl shared that his motivation for creating the film stemmed from his personal family experiences with custody battles, noting that such conflicts offer a fertile ground for compelling drama.
Unfit adds to a growing list of endeavours for Kohl, who first gained significant attention with his 2013 short film The Slaughter, which was featured at both the SXSW and Locarno film festivals.
His debut feature film, New Money, is a crime thriller starring Louisa Krause and Emmy nominee Robin Weigert. The film was showcased at various international film festivals including those in Newport Beach and Tallinn.
The executive production team for Unfit includes Henning May from the popular German band AnnenMayKantereit and Korbinian Hamberger, recognized for his work on Apple’s award-winning Berlin ER.
Production of the short film was managed by Joscha Stracke of Ich Ich Ich fame, in partnership with Berlin’s Zoo Productions under Kohl and Hamberger’s newly established Sunset Riot banner.
Having completed post-production, the short film is expected to debut at a winter film festival, with plans for a feature-length version already underway. The rights for the feature film were secured by Austria’s Epo Film (known for SKY’s Pagan Peak) after a competitive bidding process involving several prominent German-speaking producers.
Kohl is also actively developing various series and feature projects with notable companies such as Gaumont, Iconoclast, and UFA.
He is represented by Roy Ashton and Jeff Greenberg at Gersh in Los Angeles, and by Susan Colak and Gesine Pagels at FBE in Berlin. Jeanne Goursaud’s representation is handled by Gina Müser at Above the Line, while Aurel Mertz is represented by Oliver Meske at 190A.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
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