Outplay Films Nabs Tom Tykwer-Produced Locarno Competition Title ‘I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming’ (EXCLUSIVE)
France's Outplay Films has acquired world sales rights to "I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming," a Locarno main competition title produced by German director Tom Tykwer. The queer relationship drama, directed by Isabelle Stever, examines love and gender transition against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, marking a notable acquisition for Outplay ahead of the festival.
The film follows Olya and Oleh, a young queer Ukrainian couple, as one partner's gender transition unfolds amid wartime upheaval and its challenges to conventional notions of masculinity and femininity. It was produced by Tykwer and Uwe Schott through Berlin-based X Filme Creative Pool and written by Anna Melikova, with the filmmakers describing it as inspired by real Ukrainian friends' transition journeys. Marseille-based Outplay Films, led by co-managing director Diego Carazo-Migerel Fougères, said the deal aligns with its focus on original, minority-centred storytelling as it continues expanding internationally.
- Outplay Films acquires world sales for Tykwer-produced Locarno title
- Film explores gender transition amid Russia's war in Ukraine
- Directed by Isabelle Stever, produced via X Filme Creative Pool
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Outplay Films is a French sales agency based in Marseille that buys the rights to sell films internationally, and it has picked up a drama premiering in the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival, one of the longer-running film festivals held annually in Switzerland. The film, "I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming," is directed by German filmmaker Isabelle Stever and produced by Tom Tykwer, the well-known German director behind films such as "Run Lola Run" and "Cloud Atlas," through his Berlin-based production company X Filme Creative Pool.
The story centres on a young queer Ukrainian couple and follows one partner's gender transition as it plays out against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Its writer, Anna Melikova, and the filmmakers have said it draws on the real experiences of Ukrainian friends who have gone through similar transitions.
The acquisition matters within the film industry because it signals confidence in the project ahead of its festival premiere and reflects Outplay's stated focus on backing original stories centred on minority experiences as it grows its international presence.