The Distributor Spotlight bridges the gap between the Avant Première Screenings and the Market Screenings, presenting a one-hour programme dedicated to the newest productions from distributors and producers of the IMZ network. This format will feature one to three productions, providing an opportunity to present selected works from their catalogue in greater detail.

The Paths of Bach: Raphaël Pichon & Ensemble Pygmalion

In 1705, at 20 years old, Johann Sebastian Bach traveled from Arnstadt to Lübeck to meet composer Dietrich Buxtehude, seeking to perfect his musical education - a pivotal moment in his artistic development. French ensemble Pygmalion, led by Raphaël Pichon, “the most important Bach conductor today” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) retraces Bach’s journey in an ambitious project to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Undertaking a musical pilgrimage, Pygmalion performs works by Bach and his contemporaries in four different churches, offering a unique insight into Bach's work and its relevance today.

Salzburg Festival 2024

Classical music’s “most prestigious festival” (New York Times) boasts around 200 performances every year. In cooperation with various broadcasters, UNITEL brought a whole 11 productions to the screen in 2024. In addition to this highlight showcase of all 2024 productions, Prokofiev’s The Gambler will be shown in our special screening on Tuesday at 6.30 pm.

Upcoming: Johann Strauss Year 2025

2025 marks the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss, the King of Waltz and Operetta. In celebration of this milestone, the city of Vienna is dedicating the entire year to a vast array of performances and activities. UNITEL will present upcoming highlights of the Johann Strauss Year.

Afanador

Choreographer Marcos Morau and the Ballet Nacional de España bring to life the striking imagery of Colombian photographer Ruvén Afanador in this visually arresting performance. Known for capturing iconic figures in fashion, music, and cinema, Afanador’s passion for flamenco is reflected in his works Mil Besos and Ángel Gitano. This production blends photography, dance, and flamenco, using radical black-and-white aesthetics to create a surreal, breathtaking experience. Directed by Rubén Olmo, Afanador was filmed at Teatro Real, Madrid, in February 2024.

The Wild Duck

The Norwegian National Ballet presents The Wild Duck, choreographed by Marit Moum Aune, completing Ibsen’s trilogy with a powerful adaptation. Exploring truth, illusions, and family secrets, the ballet follows young Hedvig as she unravels painful realities hidden in the Ekdal family’s attic. Featuring a haunting score by Nils Petter Molvær, who also performs on stage, and intimate direction by Tommy Pascal, this production transforms Ibsen’s psychological realism into a gripping dance narrative.

Belafonte: Lost and Found

Harry Belafonte—legendary singer, actor, and civil rights activist—revolutionized music and film while breaking racial barriers. Belafonte: Lost and Found, directed by Barry Avrich, revisits the 1950s, when his calypso sound dominated the charts. This documentary, blending music and history, uncovers long-lost footage unseen since its original broadcast. A tribute to Belafonte’s immense talent and cultural impact, this film offers an intimate look at a true icon.

Sounds Like Art: Concert Films + Documentary Feature

Sounds Like Art features Europe's most renowned museums as they open their exhibition spaces to performances from world class musicians. With three episodes already shot in spectacular locations in Europe, the artwork on display serves as a well of inspiration for the artists to build new bridges between music and art. The setlist is inspired by the art that surrounds the musical performance. Tracks may draw on the creative idea behind a musician's favourite works of art and shed new light on facets of the exhibitions. Whether it’s Laufey revelling in the influence of impressionism on her work, or Beth Ditto’s (Gossip) poignant consideration of Yoko Ono, the musicians are completely free as to how they want to enter a musical dialogue with the exhibits.

Reeperbahn Festival Collide live in Concert: Tom Walker

Collide connects musicians and visual artists to create unique aesthetic experiences. One act, one visual artist, one shared stage. A creative coming together in which individually tailored works of art visually accompany the live performance. Reeperbahn Festival Collide live in Concert presents established and up-and-coming acts from all over the world and from a wide variety of genres in collaboration with spectacular visual artists in front of a live audience. The focus of the production is the cinematic presentation of the performance in interaction with the generative visuals. For the different acts with their diverse genres and timbres, we also create an individual lighting and direction concept as well as a special visual style to generate divergent moods and atmospheres. The result: a brilliant mixture of music video, live performance and art installation.

150 Years of the Ring of the Nibelung

In 2024, nearby Wagner's Zurich residence where much of the Ring was composed, Zurich Opera staged its first Ring cycle in more than 20 years. "In a way, the Ring is returning to its origins," said Andreas Homoki, the director of Wagner's grandiose myth. The monumental work, performed under the musical direction of Gianandrea Noseda, tells of the creation and destruction of an entire world and explores themes of love, fate, courage and betrayal. Accentus recorded the cycle and is currently working on an exciting documentary about the history of the Ring's creation and its reception over the last 150 years.

C Major Entertainment Goes Serial

Melodies convey feelings, memories and history. In their two new series, My Favourite Melodies and Premieres Revisited, C Major Entertainment invites us to have a closer look at iconic works. In the former, celebrated artists such as Víkingur Ólafsson and Lang Lang share their interpretations and emotions through interviews, performances and music videos, revealing the powerful impact of their favourite melodies. The latter takes us on a journey through time to the places where historic pieces like Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 were first performed, aiming to echo the spirit of their premieres.

My Favourite Melodies

These melodies transcend mere listening—they stir emotions and memories. In the first two episodes of this series, celebrated pianists Víkingur Ólafsson and Lang Lang explore the grandeur and innovation (and sometimes: a sense of humour) behind their favourite pieces. Through insightful discussions and live demonstrations and in captivatingly creative video clips they share their interpretations and personal connection to the music, revealing the powerful impact on both performers and listeners of their favourite melodies.

Premieres Revisited

Why did Jean Sibelius compose a symphony for his fiftieth birthday? And how did Felix Mendelssohn fulfil his King’s wish by composing A Midsummer Night's Dream? These and more intriguing questions are explored in C Major Entertainment’s series Premieres Revisited. The first two episodes delve into Mendelssohn’s iconic work, first performed at the Neue Palais in Potsdam Sanssouci, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, which had its world premiere in the Great Hall of Helsinki University. Premieres Revisited takes us on a journey through time and uncovers the rich history behind these masterpieces, capturing the spirit of their groundbreaking debuts.

Success in Partnering up: DR Koncert Huset + EuroArts

DR and EuroArts Music started their collaboration in 2018 – DR producing concerts with their own orchestra from their wonderful concert hall and EuroArts accessing all its resources and assets to distribute the concerts beyond Danish boarders. We will focus on the success story of the conceptual concerts and shed light on the secret of having it both: sold-out live concerts and bestselling catalogue titles. The cooperation also includes the core repertoire concerts and with the orchestra celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, this will also be part of the presentation. Three new examples of conceptual concerts in our catalogue and presented in the EuroArts showreel are “Gaming X Symphony – Legends and Quests in Concert” and “Hollywood Gala – Award Night at the Symphony” as well as “Fantasymphony - A Concert of Magic and Fire”, which we will present in detail and some additional video clips.