Picture Tree Snags ‘Last Call’ Hostage Thriller Ahead of EFM Launch

BREAKING: Picture Tree International has officially acquired international sales rights to the highly anticipated hostage thriller Last Call, just ahead of its launch at the European Film Market (EFM). The film, inspired by true events, will make its market premiere with exclusive screenings, and the teaser is now available for viewing.

Set to captivate audiences on New Year’s Eve 1999 in Athens, Last Call follows a desperate fugitive armed with a live grenade who takes a family hostage while demanding a live television broadcast as the world counts down to the new millennium. The gripping narrative unfolds in real-time, drawing in a young journalist, media executives, and a divided police force as the entire nation watches the harrowing events spiral toward a tragic conclusion.

Director Sherif Francis, who co-wrote the script with Greek screenwriter Katerina Bei, emphasizes the film’s urgent themes, stating, “With Last Call, I wanted audiences to feel the same immediacy and uncertainty I felt watching the real event unfold as a child.” The film challenges viewers to confront the intersection of media influence, power dynamics, and institutional failure—issues that resonate on a global scale.

The ensemble cast features talented actors including Orfeas Avgoustidis (“Card Postale”), Maria Nafpliotou (“Café 404”), Yorgos Benos (“Maestro in Blue”), and Dimitris Lalos (“Chlorine”). Produced by Dionyssis Samiotis for Tanweer Productions, the film emerged from the “Tanweer Pitching Days” initiative, standing out from over 300 submissions due to its unique real-time structure and true-event basis.

Andreas Rothbauer, founder and managing partner at Picture Tree International, expressed enthusiasm for the film’s potential: “Last Call immediately stood out to us for its gripping real-time structure, its true-event hook, and its international marketability.” He added, “It’s the kind of elevated European thriller that can travel strongly across theatrical and premium platforms.”

The domestic release in Greece and Cyprus is set for March 19, aiming for a nationwide rollout across over 80 screens through Tanweer Alliances. The film is co-produced with ERT, the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece, NOVA, and View Master Films, with additional support from EKKOMED.

As anticipation builds for its international debut, Last Call promises to be a significant addition to the thriller genre, blending real-life events with urgent storytelling that compels audiences to reflect on the power of media in crisis situations. This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as the EFM approaches. Stay tuned for more on this thrilling project that is set to make waves in the film industry.