74th IFFMH: Opening Film, Centre Piece and Closing Film 2025

The 74th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg opens with Amir Azizi’s ›Inside Amir‹, sets Chandler Levack’s ›Mile End Kicks‹ as the Centre Piece and closes with Chad Hartigan’s ›The Threesome‹. 

Feel Good?!
The IFFMH will explore the question at the heart of its 74th edition in three remarkable feel-good movies: Amir Azizi’s warm-hearted portrait ›Inside Amir‹ as the festival’s opening film, Chandler Levack’s rocking indie comedy ›Mile End Kicks‹ as the Centre Piece, and Chad Hartigan’s passionate romcom ›The Threesome‹ as the closing film.

The 74th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg will open on 6 November with the German premiere of ›Inside Amir‹. This sensitive and warm-hearted portrait of a young Iranian is about the existential decision between remaining in one’s native country and heading out into the unknown – and is thus very much in tune with these times. Director Amir Azizi, whose film earned the Giornate degli Autori in Venice, will be attending the opening night in Mannheim and bringing along his team. For this year’s Centre Piece, the IFFMH is going with strong indie vibes and star power. Canadian director Chandler Levack will be screening ›Mile End Kicks‹ – a cheeky and clever comedy starring Barbie Ferreira and Jay Baruchel. Concluding the festival on 16 November will be a further German premiere: ›The Threesome‹ by Chad Hartigan, who will also be in attendance. This bittersweet story from the United States about a love triangle promises to round off the 74th IFFMH with an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Festival director Dr Sascha Keilholz says: “We’re delighted to open the 74th IFFMH with a film that is so warm-hearted, inclusive and highly topical. In ›Inside Amir‹, Amir Azizi takes us on a bike ride through present-day Tehran – and right into the heart of a dilemma that is currently affecting so many young people around the world: stay or go? In his earlier film ›Two Dogs‹, the director approached the problems and challenges of his generation with great sensitivity. This time, he has again created a moving work that features a gentle approach and a narrative full of subtle allusions – which will certainly resonate. Completely different but no less powerful is the work of Chandler Levack. Rebellious, steeped in pop culture and with a keen eye for recognising power structures, she stood out as an inimitable, idiosyncratic voice in contemporary Canadian filmmaking when ›I Like Movies‹ (2022) was released. ›Mile End Kicks‹ builds upon this success and enthrals us! Chad Hartigan, on the other hand, tells the story of the insecurities, longings and anxieties of a generation in their early 30s in ›The Threesome‹, employing humour and seriousness in equal measure.”

Coming of age is not a genre: films about far-reaching decisions, emotions and reason
In a remarkably understated manner, Amir Azizi tells the story of a young man at a pivotal moment in his life. Amir is ready to leave everything behind – his hometown of Tehran, his family and friends, his routine – for a new life in Italy. His girlfriend is already there. But he finds it difficult to say goodbye. Amid quiet moments, everyday encounters and unspoken questions, a sensitive portrait of a conflicted individual emerges. In ›Inside Amir‹, Azizi depicts migration not as a form of escape or as drama, but as an existential decision between putting down roots and starting a new life.