Vue Lumière is pleased to announce the addition of two more titles to its distribution slate, including Sundance and Berlinale premieres.

The first title is “Brides” by Nadia Fall, which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to great critical acclaim and audience response. The film stars newcomer Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar (“Layla,” “The Witcher”) as two teenage girls in 2015, in search of freedom, friendship and belonging, who run away from their troubled lives in a British seaside town with a risky plan of travelling to Syria. On their road trip, we glimpse the lives they are leaving behind, as they come to understand the reality of where they are headed.

“Brides” is the debut feature from acclaimed theatre director, current Artistic Director of the Young Vic and Screen Star of “Tomorrow Nadia Fall,” and screenwriter Suhayla El-Bushra. Producers of the film are Academy Award nominee Nicky Bentham (“The Duke”, “The After”) of London based Neon Films, alongside Marica Stocchi (“The Macaluso Sisters,” “Reading Lolita in Tehran”) of Nimis (“IT”) based Rosamont. Catryn Ramasut and Alice Lusher of Cardiff based ie productions (“LOLA,” “American Interior”) are co-producers. Executive Producers include Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green for Bankside Films, Emma Duffy and Lizzie Francke for the BFI, Kiah Simpson for Ffilm Cymru Wales, Cassidy Uggla, Matt Murphie, Sawsan Asfari, Susan Simnett and Amy Gardner.

The film is a UK/Italy co-production and is supported by the BFI and Ffilm Cymru Wales, both awarding National Lottery funding, and Welsh Government via Creative Wales, Great Point Media, the Italian Ministry of Culture Minority Co-production Fund, Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual regional fund and Rai Cinema with Bankside handling international sales. It was developed with the BFI and won the Breaking Through the Lens Action Grant in 2023, sponsored by Chopard.

From a Special Gala at the 75th Berlinale, is “Köln 75”, a film written and directed by Ido Fluk about the infamous Keith Jarrett concert that nearly didn’t happen and went on to make jazz history. Fluk describes the film as a “tale of rebel youth … a punk rock story about a woman who produced the greatest jazz performance in history.” It captures the essence of Cologne during the era, a hub of musical innovation and political activism.

It stars John Magaro (“Past Lives”, “The Mastermind”), Michael Chernus (“Severance”) and Ulrich Tukur (“The White Ribbon,” “The Lives of Others”) alongside an incredible tour de force performance by Mala Emde as concert promoter Vera Brandes. It has been sold to all major territories across Europe, achieved more than £1m at the German box office and was nominated for four German Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Actress.

“Köln 75’s” New York based Writer-Director, Ido Fluk, is currently in development on his HBO series, “Empty Mansions,” with Joe Wright and Freemantle. He previously co-wrote and directed Tribeca competition title, “The Ticket,” starring Dan Stevens and Malin Akerman.

“Köln 75” is produced by Sol Bondy and Fred Burle of One Two Films, who most recently produced Ali Abbasi’s “Holy Spider”, which premiered in Cannes competition in 2022 and received a Palme d’Or for Best Actress. Further credits include Cannes Camera d’Or winner “Armand” by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Sundance and Berlinale 2025 title “Peter Hujar’s Day” by Ira Sachs, “Persian Lessons”, “The Tale and The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki”.

With backing from Polish and Belgium funds (Polish Film Institute, Lodz Film Fund, Screen Flanders and The Belgium Tax Shelter), Ewa Puszczy?ska (“A Real Pain,” “The Zone of Interest,” “Ida,” “Cold War”) of Extreme Emotions and Dries Phlypo, Erik Glijnis and Leontine Petit of Lemming Film Belgium (“Sebastian,” “Inside”, “Sweet Dreams”) co-produce. German distributor Alamode also serves as co-producer.

Further backing comes from Euro pubcasters WDR, SR and ARTE, Film-und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FFF Bayern, DFFF and Eurimages.

Academy Award nominated, Emmy winning, filmmaker, Oren Moverman (“I’m Not There,” “Love & Mercy”) and Lillian LaSalle (Mizzel Media) serve as Executive Producers, as well as Annegret-Weitkämper Krug (Gretchenfilm), Paul Hudson (Two Oceans Film Fund), Rain Rannu (Tallifornia) and associate producer Eiko Mizuno-Gray (Kinofaction), among others.

Both films were negotiated between Vue Lumière and Bankside Films and will be released in the UK & Ireland later this year.

Vue Lumière’s Director of Distribution, Eve Gabereau, said: “I am delighted and honoured to be adding these two arthouse gems to the slate and to be championing such creative talent. While both films draw on true events combined with incredible, inspiring writing, they each have a distinctive directorial vision, telling their unique stories in a way which I think will stay with audiences for a long, long time.”

Producers of “Brides” Nicky Bentham and Marica Stocchi said: “We are thrilled that Vue Lumiere will be releasing ‘Brides’ across the UK and Ireland. The film takes a familiar, potent story from the headlines and gently allows it to unravel with unexpected warmth, humour and an entirely fresh perspective. We couldn’t think of better partners than Eve and the Vue team to bring audiences on that journey. “

Producers of “Köln 75” Sol Bondy and Fred Burle said: “The distribution landscape is constantly evolving and this feels like a very exciting movement to be part of. Vue knows their audiences and it’s such a joy to know that their new distribution arm will be bringing our film to so many screens in the UK and Ireland.”

Vue Lumière plan to release “Brides” in September and “Köln 75” later in the autumn to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the album.

About Vue Lumière
Vue Lumière is the new film distribution division of Vue, the number one exhibitor in the UK and Italy by market share, and the largest privately owned operator in Europe. Soft-launched in 2024 with the successful theatrical releases of Italian hit “There’s Still Tomorrow” and global phenomenon for families “Bluey at the Cinema”, Lumière plans to release, initially in the UK, 10-12 independent, international features per year and across all rights. Dylan Southern’s “The Thing with Feathers”, based on the bestselling Max Porter book and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, marks a bold acquisition – crossing artforms, highlighting talent and making an impact through the power of cinema. Vue was founded in 1999 by Tim Richards CBE and now spans more than 2000 screens across 223 sites and covers eight territories for exhibition: the UK and Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland and Lithuania, Denmark and the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.vue-international.com/vue-lumiere