FAMILY DINNER
A Horror Thriller
by Peter Hengl

Press Kit
7 Dec 2022

Overweight and insecure, Simi spends Easter weekend with her famous nutritionist aunt. The hope isthat it’ll help her get on a healthier track, but as the aunt’s family’s icy dynamics and an increasingly
malevolent atmosphere leave Simi feeling uneasy, weight isn’t the only thing she’s about to lose.

2

CONTENTS
Synopsis

4

Facts

5

Festivals

Interviews

14

Pia Hierzegger

15

Nina Katlein

17

6Michael Pink

18

Alexander Sladek

20

Press Clippings

8

Peter Hengl

21

Background13

Lola Basara

23

Capra Film

Film AG25

Picture index

26

Film stills

27

Behind the Scenes photos

28

Contacts

30

3

SYNOPSIS
Tired of feeling down about her weight, plus-sized 15-year-old Simi
heads to her aunt Claudia’s house for Easter weekend. Claudia is
a popular nutritionist who’s written best-selling health books, so for
Simi, spending a few days together could help change her diet andinspire weight loss. What should’ve been a nice holiday weekend
with family, however, quickly reveals itself to be anything but. Simi’s
cousin, Filipp, is curiously hostile towards her, while Filipp’s stepdad,
Stefan, is curiously the opposite towards Simi, all while Claudia’s
dietary guidance verges on becoming overly militant. What’s causing
everyone to act so strangely and aggressively? The answers are evenworse than Simi’s worst nightmares.

4

FACTS

Actors:Language: German (English Subtitles)

Claudia: Pia Hierzegger

Shooting location: Austria (Lower Austria, Vienna)

Simi: Nina Katlein

Shooting period: March and April 2021

Stefan: Michael Pink

Shooting duration: 25 days

Filipp: Alexander Sladek

Format: Digital (DCP 4K), 1:1,66
Budget: ca 1,5 M Euro

Written and directed by: Peter Hengl
Producer: Lola Basara
Coproducers: Alexander Glehr, Johanna Scherz
Executive Producers: Ant Timpson, Annick Mahnert
Director of Photography: Gabriel Krajanek
Editor: Sebastian Schreiner
Set Designer: Pia Jaros
Costumes: Marlene Pleyl
Make-Up: Alexandra Knopp
Original Music: Peter Kutin
Sound Recordist: Theda Schifferdecker

Financed by: Austrian Film Institute, Filmfonds Wien, ORF, FISA,
Lower Austria Film Commission
Developed with support of the European Genre Forum 2017
Genre Programme.
Produced by Capra Film
Co-produced by Film AG
US Sales: XYZ Films
Intl Distribution: WTFilms

Sound Design: Lenja Gathmann
Re-Recording Mixer: Alexander Koller
Production Manager: Philipp Grandits
Casting Director: Marion Rossmann
5FESTIVALS

Tribeca Film Festival (World Premiere)

USA (New York)

8-19 June 2022

Sydney Film Festival

Australia

8-19 June 2022

Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival

Switzerland

1-9 July 2022

Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival

Croatia

1-9 July 2022

BIFAN

South Korea

7-17 July 2022

New Zealand International Film Festival

New Zealand

28 July-4 Sept 2022

Fright FestUK

25-29 August 2022

MotelX

Portugal

6-12 Sept 2022

L‘Etrange Festival

France6-18 Sept 2022

Fantasy Filmfest

Germany

7-28 Sept 2022

Cinematik Intl Film Festival

Slovakia

13-18 Sept 2022

Fantastic Fest

USA (Austin, TX)

22-29 Sept 2022

Calgary Intl Film Festival

Canada22 Sept - 2 Oct 2022

Festival Europeen du Film Fantastique Strasboug

France23 Sept - 2 Oct 2022

Reykjavik Intl Film Festival

Iceland

29 Sept - 9 Oct 2022

Sitges Film Festival

Spain

6 - 16 Oct 2022

ViennaleAustria

20 Oct - 1 Nov 2022

Ramaskrik

Norway20 - 23 Oct 2022
6

Morbido Fest

Mexico25 - 31 Oct 2022

Splat!

Poland26 Oct - 13 Nov 2022

Imagine Intl Film Festival

Netherlands

26 Oct - 4 Nov 2022

Tysvaer Skrekkfest

Norway27 - 29 Oct 2022

Razor Reel

Belgium

27 Oct - 4 Nov 2022

Molins Horror Film FestivalSpain

27 Oct - 13 Nov 2022

Internationale Filmfestspiele Braunschweig

Germany

7 - 13 Nov 2022

Stockholm Intl Film Festival

Sweden

9 - 20 Nov 2022

Night Visions Film Festival

Finland16 - 20 Nov 2022

Torino Intl Film Festival

Italy

25 Nov - 3 Dec 2022

7

PRESS CLIPPINGS(EXCERPT)ROTTEN TOMATOES – 100% FRESH
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/family_dinner

SCREEN ANARCHY - June 23, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022 Review:
FAMILY DINNER Serves Up Grim Lessons“ by Dave Canfield(Positive)*RT Critic

BLOODY DISGUSTING - June 10, 2022 - „‘Family Dinner’
Tribeca Review – The Easter Holiday Brings Slow-Burn
Psychological Torment“ by Meagan Navarro (3 out of 5)*RT Critic
https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3718862/family-dinnertribeca-review-the-easter-holiday-brings-slow-burn-psychologicaltorment/
DREAD CENTRAL - June 10, 2022 - „‘Family Dinner’ Delivers A
Slow-Cooked Cinematic Feast [Tribeca 2022 Review]“ byJosh Korngut (4 out of 5)*RT Critic
https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/431270/family-dinner-deliversa-slow-cooked-cinematic-feast-tribeca-2022-review/https://screenanarchy.com/2022/06/tribeca-2022-review-familydinner-serves-up-grim-lessons.html
DAILY DEAD - June 12, 2022 - “Tribeca 2022 Review: Pure
Suffering is on the Menu in Peter Hengl’s FAMILY DINNER” by
Heather Wixson (4 out of 5 Stars)*RT Critic
https://dailydead.com/tribeca-2022-review-pure-suffering-is-on-themenu-in-peter-hengls-family-dinner/
THE DAILY BEAST - June 15, 2022 - „Inside ‘Family Dinner,’
The Body-Horror Movie Grossing Out Tribeca“ by Laura Bradley(Positive)*RT Critic
https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-family-dinner-the-bodyhorror-movie-grossing-out-the-tribeca-film-festival8

*RT Critic
THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS - June 12, 2022 - „’Family Dinner’
review: Dir. Peter Hengl [Tribeca 2022]“ by Kat Hughes (4 out of
5)*RT Critic
https://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2022/06/13/family-dinnerreview-dir-peter-hengl-tribeca-2022/

https://www.filminquiry.com/tribeca-2022-report-1/
THE LAMPLIGHT REVIEW- June 14, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022
Review: ‘Family Dinner’“ by Brent Hankins (Positive)*RT Critic
https://lamplightreview.com/tribeca-2022-review-family-dinner/

ADVENTURES IN POOR TASTE - June 10, 2022 - „[Tribeca’22] ‘Family Dinner’ review: Quiet Easter horror you’ve been
waiting for“ by Nathaniel Muir (Positive)

TEAM JVS - June 10, 2022 - „FAMILY DINNER (Tribeca 2022) |REVIEW (Spoiler Free!)“ by Samuel (7 out of 10)*RT Critic*RT Critic

https://aiptcomics.com/2022/06/10/family-dinner-tribeca-folkhorror/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCt9QRvQYOI

PAJIBA - June 12, 2022 - “Tribecca Review: How Hungry We Are
For Horror, And Here’s ‘Family Dinner To Fill Us Up” by Jason
Adams (Positive)*RT Critic
https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/review-how-hungry-we-arefor-horror-and-heres-family-dinner-to-fill-us-up.php
NYC MOVIE GURU - June 19, 2020 - “Family Dinner” by Avi
Offer (Positive)*RT Critic
http://nycmovieguru.com/tribeca22.html#familydinner
FILM INQUIRY- June 14, 2022 - „Tribeca Film Festival 2022
Report 1: FAMILY DINNER, HUESERA & A WOUNDEDFAWN’“ by Brent Hankins (Positive)

THE WORD - June 13, 2022 - „A Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Must
See! Film Review of Director Peter Hengl’s FAMILY DINNER{LAST PUBLIC SCREENING, Wednesday, 6/15 @ 8:15 p.m. –Tribeca Film Center}“ by Gregg Morris (Positive)
https://hunterword.com/index.php/family-dinner-film-reviewtribecafilmfest2022-by-greggwmorris/
HUFFPOST - June 21, 2022 - “How The Tribeca Film Festival
Underscored The Resilience of Filmmaking” by Candice Frederick
Included in roundup of festival highlights
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tribeca-film-festival-2022-highlights_n_62b1c7c7e4b06594c1db8e20
REEL NEWS DAILY - June 10, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022 review:‘FAMILY DINNER’ is a recipe for disaster, and that’s what makes
it delicious.“ by Liz Whittemore (Positive)
9https://reelnewsdaily.com/2022/06/10/tribeca-2022-review-familydinner-is-a-recipe-for-disaster-and-thats-what-makes-it-delicious/

dinner-2022-delivers-the-terrors-of-meat-in-a-slow-burningcarnage-feast/

NIGHTMARISH CONJURINGS - June 13, 2022 - „[Tribeca Film
Festival Review] FAMILY DINNER“ by Tom Milligan (Positive)

HEAR US SCREAM - June 11, 2022 - „[Review] Tribeca Film
Festival: Family Dinner“ by Catherine Benstead (Positive)

https://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2022/06/13/tribeca-filmfestival-review-family-dinner/

https://www.hearusscream.com/reviews/tribeca-film-festival-familydinner

TALES FROM THE PAULSIDE - June 17, 2022 - „[Tribeca 2022
Review] ‘Family Dinner’ is a finely crafted meal of horrors“ by Paul
Le (Positive)

HORROR FUEL - June 12, 2022 - „Movie Review: “Family Dinner”(Tribeca Festival)“ by Joseph Perry (Positive)

https://talesfromthepaulside.com/2022/06/17/family-dinner-peterhengl-tribeca-review/
SLAY AWAY - June 20, 2022 - „[Tribeca Festival] FAMILYDINNER Review - Dieting Becomes a Grim Endurance Test“ byJustin Lockwood (3 out of 5)
https://www.slayawaywithus.com/post/tribeca-festival-familydinner-review-dieting-becomes-a-grim-endurance-test
WHERE‘S THE REMOTE - June 10, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022 |FAMILY DINNER Is The Easter Vacation From Hell“ byhttps://horrorfuel.com/2022/06/13/movie-review-family-dinnertribeca-festival/
LET THE MOVIE MOVE US - June 12, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022:“Family Dinner” (2022)“ by Ulkar Alakbarova (3.5 out of 5)
https://moviemovesme.com/2022/06/12/tribeca-2022-familydinner-2022/
SACRED SHEEPLESS - June 11, 2022 - „Family Dinner“ byScared Sheepless (3.5 out of 5)
https://scaredsheepless.wordpress.com/2022/06/11/family-dinner/

Alex Papaioannou (Positive)
https://www.wtrpod.com/post/tribeca-film-festival-2022-familydinner-film-review
FLIPSCREENED - June 18, 2022 - „TRIBECA 2022 REVIEW:‘Family Dinner’ (2022) Delivers the Terrors of Meat in a SlowBurning Carnage Feast“ by Nuha Hassan (4 out of 5)
https://flipscreened.com/2022/06/18/tribeca-2022-review-family-

EYE CRAVE NETWORK - June 10, 2022 - „Family Dinner –Tribeca Film Festival Review“ By Justin Waldman (Positive)
http://www.eyecrave.net/reviews/family-dinner-tribeca-film-festivalreview/
HEAVEN OF HORROR - June 10, 2022 - „Family Dinner –10Movie Review (3/5)“ by Nadja „HorrorDiva“ Houmoller

Joseph Tomastik (3.5 out of 5)(3 out of 5)

https://loudandclearreviews.com/family-dinner-tribeca-review-2022film/

https://www.heavenofhorror.com/reviews/family-dinner-2022horror/
HIGH ON FILMS - June 11, 2022 - „FAMILY DINNER [2022]:‘TRIBECA’ REVIEW – A TENSE HORROR-DRAMA THATTACKLES BODY POSITIVITY & TOXIC PARENTHOOD“ byPramit Chatterjee (Positive)

MOTHER OF MOVIES - June 10, 2022 - „Family Dinner(Tribeca) 2022” Vanessa Stewart (3.5 out of 5)
https://vanessasnonspoilers.com/archives/46426/family-dinnerreview/https://www.highonfilms.com/family-dinner-2022-tribeca-review/

THE MOVIES PODCAST- June 10, 2022 - „27. Family Dinner(2022) dir. Peter Hengl“ by Daniel Berrios (Positive)

HORROR BUZZ - June 10, 2022 - „FAMILY DINNER–When
Easter Fasting Goes Too Far–Tribeca“ byhttps://anchor.fm/themoviespodcast/episodes/Family-Dinner-2022dir--Peter-Hengl-e1jq3lt

Brian Fanelli (8 out of 10)
https://www.horrorbuzz.com/movies/family-dinner-when-easterfasting-goes-too-far-tribeca/
THE INVENTION OF DREAMS - June 10, 2022 - „Family
Dinner Shines a Light on the Horror of Body Negativity (Tribeca
Film Festival 2022 Review)“ by Rowan Wood (Positive)

THE MOVIE WAFFLER - June 11, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022 Review FAMILY DINNER“ by Eric Hillis (3.5 out of 5)
http://www.themoviewaffler.com/2022/06/family-dinner-reviewpeter-hengl.html

https://theinventionofdreams.com/family-dinner-shines-a-light-onthe-horror-of-body-negativity-tribeca-film-festival-2022-review/
JOSH AT THE MOVIES - June 10, 2022 - „Tribeca 2022: Family
Dinner“ Josh (4 out of 5)
https://joshatthemovies.com/2022/06/10/tribeca-2022-familydinner/
LOUD AND CLEAR REVIEWS - June 11, 2022 - „Family Dinner(Tribeca Review): A Stomach-Churning Slow-Burn“ by11INTERVIEWS:
AM-FM MAGAZINE - June 17, 2022 - „Tribeca Film Festival
World Premiere Of FAMILY DINNER: Writer/Director Peter
Hengl and actors Nina Katlein and Alexander Sladek (Interview)“
by Paul Salfen
https://www.amfm-magazine.tv/tribeca-film-festival-worldpremiere-of-family-dinner-writer-director-peter-hengl-and-actorsnina-katlein-and-alexander-sladek-interview/

PEOPLE - June 11, 2022 - “Find Out Who Popped By PEOPLE’s
Photo Booth at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival” by Lauren
Lieberman
https://people.com/movies/2022-tribeca-film-festival-portraitstudio/?slide=e8b47587-6d17-4212-ae35-d6c48c4e7f98#e8b475876d17-4212-ae35-d6c48c4e7f98

LRM ONLINE - June 11, 2022 - „Peter Hengl, Nina Katlein, andAlexander Sladek Interview for Family Dinner | Tribeca 2022“ byGig Patta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Vn-6CaNNc
EYE FOR FILM - June 11, 2022 - “That timeless fairy-tale quality”
by Anne-Katrin Titze
https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature/2022-06-11-peter-hengl-inconversation-on-family-dinner-hansel-and-gretel-and-the-need-tocontrol-feature-story-by-anne-katrin-titze
WHERE’S THE REMOTE PODCAST - June 13, 2022 „TRIBECA 2022 Interview | Peter Hengl, Nina Katlein, andAlexander Sladek Talk FAMILY DINNER“ by Alex Papaioannou
https://www.wtrpod.com/post/tribeca-2022-family-dinner-interview
AUSTRIAN FILMS – June 2022 - Interview Peter Hengl- https://www.austrianfilms.com/interview/peter_hengl/family_
dinner_ENG
12

BACKGROUNDFAMILY DINNER is the first feature film by director Peter Hengl
and producer Lola Basara.
Lola and Peter are a married couple - they started working together
while studying at the Vienna Film Academy, one of the 20 bestinternational film schools according to the Hollywood Reporter in
2021. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2021best-international-film-schools-1234995133/
Peter studied under professors like Michael Haneke (Oscar Best
Foreign Film 2013) and Götz Spielmann (nominated for Oscar forBest Foreign Film 2009)
FAMILY DINNER is the first production of their company Capra
Film. Lola founded the company while studying, Peter Hengl andMarc Schlegel joined in 2020 as partners.

Pia Hierzegger (Claudia) is a well known actress in Austria andstarred in films like THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET by Marie
Kreutzer (Berlinale 2019), WILDE MAUS by Josef Hader (Berlinale2017).
FAMILY DINNER was also joined by well-known genre specialists
Ant Timpson and Annick Mahnert as executive producers.
Ant Timpson is the director of COME TO DADDY (Tribeca 2019)and producer of TURBO KID (Sundance 2015) and many more.
Annick Mahnert is the producer of films such as78/52 (Sundance2017), Memory: The Origin of Alien (Sundance 2019), Leap ofFaith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist (Venice Film Festival 2019),
Huachiculero (Tribeca 2019).

FAMILY DINNER also features the first appearances in a featurefilm of talented young actors Nina Katlein (Simi) and Alexander
Sladek (Filipp).

13

INTERVIEWS

14

PIA HIERZEGGER„CLAUDIA“

Who do you play in the film and how would you describe
your role?
I play the mother who doesn‘t want to lose control of her son. She
seeks solutions in the knowledge of ancient cultures and she isaddicted to recognition.
What do you like about Claudia? What attracted you totake on this role?
I share their love for good food. Otherwise I don‘t like much about
her. I think she‘d get on my nerves. But I try to understand theconsistency with which she pursues things and to think into heresoteric explanation of the world. At the moment you can see that
there are quite a number of people like this. In horror films they killeach other, in real life they take to the streets and scream loudly.
But one thing unites them, it is not about others but only about
themselves and they believe that they are the bearers of the only
truth.
What is the biggest challenge in the character Claudia
and how did you prepare for it?
I was only able to prepare briefly because I got to this film late.
The challenge for me is not to reveal right from the start whether
Claudia is to be trusted or not and not to emphasize the horror(c) Felix Vratny
genre in every scene while playing. I try to see every situation from
Claudia‘s point of view and the rest will hopefully happen whileshooting with my colleagues.
In the film you play a nutrition expert who loves cooking.
Are you also nutrition-conscious in your private life and do
you like to cook?
I like to cook, but not always well. I like to eat, but I‘ve gotten alittle complicated over the years. Few carbohydrates, meat only in
exceptional situations, small portions. But if the situation is right, I
then eat everything and a lot. I‘ve now read a recipe in the script
called Shakshuka, that interests me. I also sometimes bake bread,even bevore Corona started.

15

What is your favourite meal?
I don‘t really have a favorite food. I like vegetables, I like salad.
Parmigiana is very popular with me right now. But I think it always
depends on who and in what situation I eat.
Do you watch horror movies privately? If so, which movies
do you like? If not, why not?
As a teenager, I loved watching horror films. I remember “The Omen”
and “The Exorcist”, but the most impressive was “The Shining.” Jack
Nicholson was one of my favorite actors for a long time and I
watched films like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest”, “Easy Rider”
or “Chinatown” and got away from horror films a bit.

Filmography Pia Hierzegger
Awards2020 Austrian Film Award for the best female supporting actor in„Der Boden unter den Füßen“2019 Nominated for German Acting Award as best Actress in a
comedy for „Der Tatortreiniger: Currywurst“

Theatrical (selection)
2019 Risiken & Nebenwirkungen, Director: Michael Kreihsl
2018 Womit haben wir das verdient?, Director: Eva
Spreitzhofer
2017 Der Boden unter den Füßen, Director: Marie Kreutzer
2015 Hotel Rock‘n‘Roll, Director: Helmut Köpping, Michael
Ostrowski
2015 Wilde Maus, Director: Josef Hader2015 Was hat uns bloß so ruiniert, Director: Marie Kreutzer

TV (selection)
2019 Weidmannsdank, Director: Daniel Prochaska, ZDF/ORF
2019 Die Toten vom Bodensee: Fluch aus der Tiefe, Director:
Michael Schneider, ZDF
2018 Der Tatortreiniger, Director: Arne Feldhusen, NDR
2016 Die Notlüge Director: Marie Kreutzer , ORF/SWR
2014 Vier Frauen und ein Todesfall, Director: Wolfgang
Murnberger 		
ORF/ARD2012 Schnell ermittelt, Director: Michi Riebl, ORF
2010 Aufschneider, Director: David Schalko, ORF/arte

16

NINA KATLEIN„SIMI“How did you prepare for the shooting?
Family Dinner is my first feature film. I prepared myself together
with Peter, our acting coach Jakob Fischer and Alexander Sladek.
We had rehearsals beforehand and worked through the entire bookand rehearsed scenes. Later we rehearsed together with Pia andMichael. That was a very intensive preparation.
How would you describe your role?
I believe that Simone is a relatively insecure person, which is also
due to the fact that she is overweight and therefore has no selfconfidence. That‘s why she wants to lose weight and that‘s why she
goes to see her aunt. I think she is definitely not happy with her
body. She would also gain confidence if she were thinner. She has
no confidence at the moment.
What do you like about this role? What attracted you toapply for this role?
I think it‘s very cool about the film that a girl who is a little bigger
gets a leading role because that‘s rarely the case. Usually lead roles
are cast with people who adhere to traditional beauty standards.
Family Dinner is a lot about ideals of beauty and self-(c) Felix Vratny
perception. How important are these topics to you? Is therea message this film is supposed to convey?
I don‘t know if there really is a message about body and beautyin the film, but it definitely covers it. Just because of Simi‘s weightloss efforts and the fact that Claudia is a nutritionist, it is a present
topic in the film. I think this topic affects each of us in some way:advertising, fashion - everything has to do with it. I‘ve neverconformed to today‘s ideal of beauty, but I think it‘s important thatyou create an ideal of beauty for yourself and that you are alsosatisfied if you are not super slim.
What is your favourite meal?
I really enjoy eating Italian. My very favorite dish is sheep‘s cheese
spaghetti. Just spaghetti with a feta herbal sauce. I‘ve loved thatsince childhood.

17

MICHAEL PINK„STEFAN“

Who do you play in the film and how would you describe
your role?
I play Stefan, who is very in love with his wife. He is Claudia‘s new
husband and Filipp‘s stepfather. Stefan is / was a successful businessman at an IT company in Vienna, who has surrendered to Thoreau‘sphilosophy and wants to find himself as a person. To create with his
hands, to feel nature and body. Reduce the world back to what it
is: nature. To relive these simple laws without distraction is his goal.
His demands on the others are at least as tough and strict as thoseon himself. His choleric manner does not help Filipp in particular toopen up to Stefan‘s world.
What do you like about Stefan? What attracted you totake on this role?
What appealed to me most was the great distance between Stefan‘sperson and my own. To fill this gap and to go on this journey inorder to be able to understand this figure and to represent it in acomprehensible manner. The search for the why. Where could his
actions come from and what does he want, an exciting path - andthat is also what I like most about Stefan: That he made me think,empathize and change perspective (without wanting to go his ownway!).

(c) Felix Vratny
What is the biggest challenge in the character Stefan andhow did you prepare for it?
First: the philosophy he represents. Why does he do all this, what
is his drive? To dive into the psychology of this character. To findthe „why“ in everyday life. And second: the physical preparation. I
exercise every day and avoid sugar. For me as a biscuit lover, it‘spretty exhausting!
Stefan is a very sporty man. Did you have to prepare
yourself a lot or are you so sporty in your private life?
If it says so in the script, I prepare accordingly in advance. Training,
but also growing your hair and beard was part of it - just like theinternal preparation, the external must also fit the role. Stefan is18Filmography Michael Pink
about survival of the fittest, not bodybuilding. I try to comply withthat. I‘m basically athletic, but only to feel good about myself and
not in such a consistent manner.
What is your favourite meal?
Vegetable curry and definitely something sweet afterwards.
Do you watch horror movies privately? If so, which movies
do you like? If not, why not?
I like good films, the genre is then rather secondary. But I don‘t havea special favorite that deserves to be mentioned here explicitly.

Awards (Selection)
2021 Austrian Film Award [at], Best male supporting actor 		(nominated) in „Das schaurige Haus“
2020 Actors Awards Los Angeles - Best Ensemble „Wienerland“
2019 Jelly Film Festival [us], Best Actor for „Fucking Drama“2018 Austrian Film Award [at], best male supporting actor		(nominated) in „Die beste aller Welten“2018 Discover Film Awards [uk], Best Actor for „Fucking Drama“

Theatrical (selection)
2021
2021
2020
2018
2017
2014
2012

Family Dinner, main, D: Peter Hengl
Subtext, supporting, D: Sophie Linnenbaum
Das schaurige Haus, supporting, D: Daniel Prochaska
Berlin, I Love You, supporting
Die beste aller Welten, supporting, D: Adrian Goiginger
The Voices, supporting, D: Marjane Satrapi
James Bond 007 - Skyfall, supporting, D: Sam Mendes

TV (selection)
2021 Glauben, supporting, series, TVNOW, VOX, D: Daniel
Prochaska
2021 Wilsberg - Ungebetene Gäste, main, TV movie series, ZDF,
D: Martin Enlen
2021 Todesurteil - Nemez und Sneijder ermitteln, supporting, TV
movie series, ProSieben, SAT.1, D: Christopher Schier2020 Tatort - Unten, TV movie series, ORF, D: Daniel Prochaska
2020 Landkrimi - Waidmannsdank, supporting, TV movie series,
ORF, ZDF, D: Daniel Prochaska
2019 Now or Never, main, TV movie, SWR, D: Gerd Schneider
2015 Wienerland, main, series pilot, D: Jan Woletz

19

ALEXANDER SLADEK„FILIPP“Who do you play in the film and how would you describe
your role?
I play Filipp, Simi‘s cousin. When you get to know him, you
immediately notice that something is wrong with him. He comes
across as aggressive and absent-minded, and he is not a pleasantcompanion. But if you got to know him better, you would notice that
he is slowly but surely opening up to you. But his mother doesn‘tallow that to happen.
What do you like about this role? What attracted you toapply for this role?
What I like about Filipp is that he is a very complex character. He istreated like a small child by his mother and constantly criticized byhis stepfather. These two extreme influences disturb him and trigger
his frustration. I also have a lot of fun playing someone who is sodifferent from me.
Family Dinner is your first feature film. How did you
prepare for the shooting?
We rehearsed for many days and dealt intensively with our roles.
We discussed the motivations of each person in detail in each scene.
That really helped me put myself in the story. Since I had next to noexperience in front of the camera, it was extremely helpful for me to(c) Felix Vratny
rehearse the scenes beforehand without a camera.
What were the challenges in preparing for the role?
I think the hardest thing for me was to put myself in Filipp‘saggression and reticence, because I‘m actually a very positive andopen-minded person. He and I are two very different people. The
rehearsals helped me a lot.
Do you watch horror movies privately? If so, which movies
do you like? If not, why not?
I used to not really watch horror films because, for me, there wasnever really a reason for it. When I got selected for the role ofFilipp, I started to discover this genre for myself. Now I really enjoy
watching them.
What is your favourite meal?
My favorite food is usually what I‘m eating right now.
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PETER HENGLDIRECTOR

What is Family Dinner about?
Family Dinner is actually a little chamber play - it‘s about a teenage
girl who visits her relatives and realizes that they have a very strange
relationship with one another. Something is going on in this family,
but by the time she finds out what‘s going on, she‘s already part ofthe story herself.
(c) Felix Vratny

How did you come up with this material?
I‘ve always loved horror films because it‘s one of the boldest andmost experimental genres in which you can do a lot with very little
money. I also think it‘s one of the most cinematic genres. Of course,that attracted me a lot for my first film. I also decided early onthat it should be a very small story with only a few characters. And
without wanting to reveal too much: The resolution is based onnightmares I had as a small child.
What is the theme of this film and why do you think it isimportant?
I think there are a lot of themes that the film touches upon. At its
core, it is a coming-of-age story: It‘s about our self-image and how
people we trust influence us in our development. It‘s about family
dynamics.

Is there a message this film is supposed to convey and who
do you want to reach with it?
It was very important to me that the film didn‘t make a clear
statement. It touches difficult and complex topics, so I don‘t want
you to be presented with a clear “moral of the story” at the end.
The viewers should decide for themselves what they think about thecharacters. I would like it best if the film triggers a discussion!
What attracts you to the horror film genre?
Horror is always about the extreme. Extreme situations, extreme
characters. These have always been the stories I liked the most,because they are instantly unique, because they touch you deep
inside. Horror touches our deepest primal fears, horror is always aborderline experience.

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How did the casting process go to find the Simi actress?

Bio und Filmography Peter Hengl

Together with our casting director Marion Rossmann, we searched
for a long time and very broadly. Young roles are always very difficult
to cast, and the Simi character carries the film in every respect. Not
only is she the main character, she‘s in every single scene in thefilm - which means quite a stressful and demanding shoot for her.
That is why we cast very widely across the whole German speaking
area through agencies and also launched an open call for casting
via Instagram. From the hundreds of applicants, we then decided
on Nina Katlein, who not only fits the role perfectly, but is also
incredibly talented. She really is the perfect Simi, and can perfectly
capture the weakness and vulnerability, but also the enormous
strength of this character!

Peter Hengl is an Austrian screenwriter and director for film andtelevision. He was born in 1983 in Kufstein, moved to Vienna in2007 and studied at the Vienna Film Academy from 2008. His
student films “Vadim” (Horror, 15 min) and “Der Held” (Dramedy,
30 min) have been shown at over 50 film festivals and havereceived numerous awards. Together with Marc Schlegel, he wrote
the ORF city comedies “Curling for Eisenstadt” (2019) and “Youcan‘t have everything” (2021). “Family Dinner” is his first featurefilm as a director. In addition, he has several other television andcinema projects in advanced stages of development.

How did the casting process go when looking for the Filipp
actor?
We also searched very carefully for the role of Filipp - Filipp is adifficult character, because one is always unsure throughout the film
whether Filipp is a friend or an enemy, a perpetrator or a victim.
That is why we searched very broadly here - and we are very happy
that we have found a great Filipp in Alexander Sladek!

Filmography (selection)
2019 – Curling for Eisenstadt, Drehbuch (together with Marc
Schlegel)TV movie - comedy
ORF
2020 – Wischen ist Macht: pilot script and format development, 2
episode scripts (together with Marc Schlegel)half-hour comedy series
ORF
2021 – Man kann nicht alles haben: Drehbuch (together with
Marc Schlegel)TV movie - comedy
ORF

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LOLA BASARAPRODUCER

What are the challenges in the production of a newcomer
film?
Family Dinner is Capra Film‘s first feature film production. We havebeen working with our co-production partners at Film AG for several
years since the project development. It is also the first feature film
by director Peter Hengl, which is why we are implementing the
project as a so-called „workshop project“, which means that we havea reduced budget for the film, as many newcomers are involved in
the project. The reduced budget is probably the greatest challenge,
because at the same time we have high expectations of ourselves
and, despite the tight war chest and few days of shooting, we wantto produce an internationally competitive film.
Why a horror film in Austria?
Peter and I have been working together as a director and producer
since our student days at the Vienna Film Academy. It was backthen that we dedicated ourselves to high-quality genre film. We
liked the horror genre the most, as there is a lot of narrative andinnovative potential here. Horror is a universal genre that works very
well internationally and is universally understandable across thelanguage barrier. Our psychological new wave horror film Family
Dinner has a strong Austrian soul, and I think it can be interestingoutside the Austrian border as well.

(c) Felix Vratny
What chances do you see for genre film in Austria?
As a company, we are principally committed to the elevatedgenre, i.e. challenging genre films. We have several genre films indevelopment,more horror films, thrillers and comedies. Our goalwith Capra Film is to build an international brand for elevatedgenre films from Austria - because we believe we live in a country
with a lot of narrative potential in this direction. Up to now Austria
was internationally known for art house films, but our aim would be
to direct a new, more audience-oriented perspective on Austrian
film.
What was important when putting the team together?
As part of a newcomer film, it was important to us to put together
a combination of experienced team members and young talents so23

that they complement each other well and everyone benefits fromeach other‘s access. The film is being produced as a „workshop
project“, so there are mostly newcomers on board - it makes us
proud that many young talents can prove themselves in our film
and show what they are capable of.
How does Corona affect the production process? How doyou protect the team?
Coping with the already tightly calculated shooting schedule during
the pandemic is a great challenge - Corona hangs over us like asword of Damocles. In order not to give this a chance, we had
developed a hygiene concept, we had our own hygiene officer on
the set, who made sure that all the rules we had set were adhered
to. Regular PCR tests twice a week were a prerequisite for teammembers to be allowed to enter the set. The use of FFP2 masks
in the interior by the crew is normal, just like body temperature
measurements, and regular hand washing, as well as following thezone model developed by the Austrian film industry.

Bio und Filmography Lola Basara
Lola Basara studied production at the Vienna Film Academy
under Danny Krausz.
She has produced a number of successful short films and in 2016
was nominated for the Studio Hamburg Young Producer Awardfor her short film „Esel“.
In 2015 she founded the production company CAPRA FILM,
meanwhile she has expanded the company with Marc Schlegel
and Peter Hengl as company partners.
Capra Film has set itself the goal of producing sophisticatedgenre films with an Austrian identity and an international
audience.
The psychological horror thriller FAMILY DINNER (funded by
the Austrian Film Institute, Vienna Film Fund and ORF, among
others) is the company‘s first feature film and is currently in postproduction with a planned cinema release in 2022.
Filmografie as a Producer (selection):
2021 “Family Dinner”, director: Peter Hengl (90min, Horror/
Thriller)
2017 “Labyrinth”, Feature Trailer, Director: Peter Hengl(90min, Horror)
2016 “Generalprobe”, (Drama, 7 min), Director: Jannis Lenz
2016 “Nachtlicht” (Experimentalfilm, 15 min), Director: Clara
Stern
2015 „Esel“ (Drama, 24 min), Director: Rafael Haider
2012 „Der Held“ (Comedy, 30 min), Director: Peter Hengl
2011 „Vadim“ (Horror, 15 min), Director: Peter Hengl
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CAPRA FILM

FILM AGPRODUCTION COMPANYPRODUCTION COMPANY

Capra Film is a young company based in Vienna that aims
to produce sophisticated genre game films with an Austriancharacter and a national and international target audience. We
focus primarily on films that deal with current issues and aresocially relevant. We are currently working on several elevatedgenre films in different stages of development. FAMILY DINNER
is the company‘s first finished feature film.

Film AG (formerly Novotny & Novotny) has been producing
award-winning feature films, documentaries, commercials andindustrial films as well as television series for two decades. Our
goal is to develop unique and convincing stories and to produce
cinematic works that exist, touch and convince in the areaof ​​tension between entertainment, aspiration and relevance.
Understanding ourselves as a European film production company,
our expertise lies both in international co-productions geared
towards the world market and in film productions that are
successful with the Austrian audience. In the same way, we look
for the special, the new, the courageous and the unique in thecinematic narrative, always with a focus on the best possible
visibility for the respective film in this world of almost unlimited
distribution possibilities.

FAMILY DINNER was created in coproduction with Film AG.

This is our aim to create sustainable works. Culturally sustainable,
sustainable in cooperation and ecologically as sustainable as one
can design a working environment. Environmental sustainability
is not a fad, no, it is a necessity. Sustainability does not makeanything impossible, but it requires a different way of thinking inorder to arrive at the same result. We like to cultivate this different
way of thinking and have made it our corporate culture. Not justfor the moment, but for our future.

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PICTURE INDEX

26

Directory „Stills“

FILM STILLS

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FD_Still_4
FD_Still_3
FD_Still_2(c) Capra Film - Reprint free of charge

FD_Still_1

BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS(c) Felix Vratny
Reprint free of charge

Left to right:
Peter Hengl(director), Nina
Katlein (Simi),
Alexander
Sladek (Filipp),
Lola Basara(Producer)

FD_bts_1

FD_bts_2

FD_bts_3

FD_bts_4

Director Peter
Hengl on set

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FD_bts_10
Front left to right: Michael Pink (Stefan), Nina Katlein (Simi), Alexander Sladek (Filipp), Pia Hierzegger (Claudia)
Back left to right: Lola Basara (Producer Capra Film), Peter Hengl (Director), Alexander Glehr (Producer Film AG), Johanna Scherz (Producer Film AG)(c) Felix Vratny

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CONTACTS
Production Company
Capra Film
Lola Basaral.basara@caprafilm.com+43-676-4777466
Kaiserstrasse 63/3/6, 1070 Vienna, Austria

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