Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber Acquires U.S. Rights to Ido Fluk’s 'Köln 75' from Bankside Films
“Infectious…you don’t need to be a Keith Jarrett fan to enjoy Köln 75, but for anyone who is, the movie is a savory anecdote that colors in his fluky rapture.”
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“A vivid vehicle for a dynamic, often very funny Emde…the female-focused story of a high-stakes struggle, showing how a cultural passion can sometimes overcome
all obstacles and transform a person’s life entirely.”
– Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily
“The emotional heart of this story is Emde’s fizzing screen energy as the young Brandes.”
– Stephen Dalton, The Film Verdict
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired from Bankside Films all U.S. rights to Ido Fluk’s Köln 75, which tells the inside story behind Keith Jarrett’s fabled record-breaking 1975 concert in Cologne, Germany. Zeitgeist Films will release the film theatrically at the IFC Center in New York this fall with a national rollout to follow.
Starring Mala Emde, John Magaro, and Michael Chernus, Köln 75 has been widely acclaimed in Germany since its release, receiving four Lola Award nominations including Best Picture and crossing 1 million USD at the German box office with over 100,000 admissions. The film sold to multiple territories following its Special Gala premiere at the 2025 Berlinale in February and is scheduled to open internationally in the coming months.
Keith Jarrett’s legendary performance in January 1975 nearly didn’t happen. Based on a true story, Köln 75 follows how the concert was conceived and orchestrated by the efforts of a teenage up and coming concert promoter, Vera Brandes, (played by German actress Mala Emde). Her enthusiasm set her to multitasking – from organizing the concert venue (the Cologne Opera House), promoting the event, and selling the tickets, to convincing Jarrett to perform when he almost dropped out when the Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano he was promised was nowhere to be found. John Magaro plays Jarrett with his own intensity, a sublime counterpoint to Brandes’ joyful and unstoppable enthusiasm at every situation she encounters. Köln 75 captures the compelling, entertaining and, until now, unknown back story about Jarrett’s one-hour, entirely improvised concert, which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history.
The deal for Köln 75 was negotiated by Zeitgeist Films Co-President Emily Russo and Yana Georgieva at Bankside Films.
Zeitgeist Co-Presidents Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman said, “We loved this energetic and fascinating story with brilliant performances and look forward to sharing it with American audiences who have loved this iconic album for decades, but surely do not know the ‘almost didn’t happen’ events behind its making.”
Executive producer Oren Moverman notes, "We are elated to be working with Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo at the iconic Zeitgeist Films in partnership with the truly independent Kino Lorber. At a time when audiences have clearly expressed a hunger for fresh quality cinema, Ido Fluk's Köln 75 hits all the right notes with a kinetic, fun, emotionally resonant story about the power of live music -- be it jazz, pop, punk, or rock -- to transform the world not only from the stage, but also from behind the scenes. We are enormously proud of Mala Emde's exuberant powerhouse performance as Vera Brandes, along with John Magaro and Michael Chernus' magical turns, as well as the rest of the excellent German cast. We know that Köln 75 will mesmerize audiences and steer their hearts toward the record shops, concert venues and music apps."
Köln 75 is written and directed by Ido Fluk, produced by Sol Bondy and Fred Burle, and executive produced by Oren Moverman, Lillian LaSalle, Zelene Fowler, Michael Fowler, Paul Hudson, Talaat Captan, Julianne Hausler, Jennifer Fox, and Annegret Weitkämper-Krug.