THE APEX TIMES
Nicolaas Schmidt’s “September Afternoon” Screens at Locarno, Features a Couple Refusing to Accept Summer’s End
The German writer-director-editor’s first feature-length film, debuting at the Swiss festival, is described as moving from everyday life to a “contemporary cosmic catastrophe,” with an exclusive clip leaning into blunt humor.
“September Afternoon,” the first feature-length film by German writer-director-editor Nicolaas Schmidt, is set to make its debut at the Locarno Film Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter published an exclusive clip from the production on July 30.
According to the report, the film begins from a grounded premise, following a couple who “refuses to accept that summer is over.” The opening movement is framed as a study in ordinary rhythms and small, stubborn decisions, with the clip emphasizing the texture of day-to-day life rather than immediately announcing a larger cinematic event.
The report describes Schmidt’s approach as a pivot from plain banality toward a far bigger register. After establishing the relationship and the mood of late-season routine, the story, as characterized by the outlet, escalates into what it calls “a contemporary cosmic catastrophe.” The juxtaposition is presented as central to the film’s design, shifting tone while keeping the human scale in view.
In the clip coverage, the film is also linked to a broader artistic posture about how audiences experience extremes in modern culture. The report quotes a line that frames the work’s sensibility as finding energy in “plain banality” even “in an age of arbitrary extraordinariness,” with the quote including profanity.
Schmidt is credited in the reporting not only as director but also as writer and editor, pointing to a unified creative process that, in the film’s early framing, blends naturalistic everyday behavior with escalating surreal or apocalyptic stakes.
While the report offers limited additional production specifics, the Locarno premiere context situates the film among emerging European projects seeking festival visibility. The publication’s decision to release an exclusive clip suggests distributors or festival programmers may view the film’s tone, not just its premise, as the immediate hook for early audiences.
Locarno audiences will encounter the film after its festival debut, with the next public steps expected to include screenings during the festival slate and follow-on coverage that typically accompanies premieres, such as additional interviews with the director and details about distribution arrangements.
Why It Matters
- Festival premieres at Locarno help shape the early reception and visibility of first features, influencing which films attract critical attention and industry interest.
- The film’s described tonal pivot from domestic refusal to large-scale catastrophe indicates an approach that may appeal to audiences looking for genre-scale ideas without abandoning everyday character focus.
- Because the report’s framing highlights a strongly profane, blunt line, the film’s content and language may affect audience expectations and the way reviewers discuss its comedic or satirical style.
- With Schmidt serving multiple creative roles, the premiere will also be watched for how cohesive the film’s narrative and editing approach feels on screen to festival audiences.
Key Facts
- “September Afternoon” is Nicolaas Schmidt’s first feature-length film and marks a Locarno Film Festival debut.
- Schmidt is credited as the film’s writer, director, and editor.
- The film is described as starting with a couple that refuses to accept summer is over.
- The Hollywood Reporter characterizes the film as shifting from everyday life to “a contemporary cosmic catastrophe.”
- The Hollywood Reporter published an exclusive clip from the film and included a quote referencing “plain banality” as “stimulating” amid “arbitrary extraordinariness,” with profanity included in the reported line.