Kingz (film)

Lore & Background

Kingz was developed as a thesis project at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg by Benni Diez and Marinko Spahić, who had previously collaborated on the short Druckbolzen. The script underwent several rewrites, and the main characters were named after the actors Olli Banjo and Mathis Landwehr. Landwehr, known for his martial arts and stunt work, choreographed the action scenes himself. The filmmakers cast three German pop music stars, including hip hop musician Olli Banjo in his debut film role and rock icon Bela B as the club owner Luca.

Reader's Guide

Kingz is significant as a student film that achieved international festival success and won a Méliès d'Argent, a prestigious award for science fiction. It was the first fictional short film ever shown on MTV Germany, airing at half past midnight on Halloween night 2007. The short later gained wider distribution through its inclusion in the 2017 Canadian anthology Galaxy of Horrors, which was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming platforms. Critical reception was mixed: some praised its cinematography, action choreography, and blend of genres, while others found the acting and dialogue weak. The film remains available on YouTube.

Did You Know?

• Kingz was the first fictional short film ever shown on MTV Germany, airing at 12:30 a.m. on Halloween night 2007.
• The main characters were named after the actors Olli Banjo and Mathis Landwehr because the filmmakers had not found appropriate names during script rewrites.
• The film won a Méliès d'Argent in 2009 at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.