London

a film by

Austria | 120' | 02/2026 | fiction

Bobby is always in his car, driving back and forth on the highway that links Vienna and Salzburg. Other people travel that same route, he picks them up to save money on petrol and talks to them along the way: the soldier questioning what it means to fight, the supermarket trainee heading to see family, the academic looking at the history of the highway, the queer woman about to get married; different paths, different accents, different stories, most of them true. Bobby listens, but also speaks about himself, about his youth, about aging, about his friend in a coma in Salzburg who’s the reason for all these trips. Mountains and forests rush by outside, broken up by junctions, barriers and bridges, the quality of light shifts along with the seasons. Neither a documentary, nor entirely fiction, London is a quietly political portrait of today’s Europe via its in-between spaces and those passing through them. Even in these strange times, anonymity and kindness can still go hand in hand.

“A poignant meditation on life, memory and loneliness, London is an existential odyssey about finding salvation on the open road, told with wit, precision and an abundance of soul.”

Square Eyes - PALMES 26 Compétition VA noir

“A poignant meditation on life, memory and loneliness, London is an existential odyssey about finding salvation on the open road, told with wit, precision and an abundance of soul.”

Crew Festivals Press materials Press quotes

Sebastian Brameshuber

Biography

Sebastian Brameshuber (*1981) studied stage and film design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and film at Le Fresnoy, France. Since 2004, his works have been showcased and awarded at festivals such as Berlinale, Viennale, Art of the Real, FIDMarseille, IDFA, BAFICI, Sarajevo FF, and BFI London. His 2019 film Movements of a Nearby Mountain won the Grand Prix at Cinéma du Réel in Paris. Retrospectives of his work were held at the Austrian Film Archive in Vienna and Anthology Film Archives.

Filmography

● London – 2026, feature
● Movements of a Nearby Mountain – 2019, feature doc
● Of Stains, Scrap & Tires – 2014, short
● And there we are, in the Middle – 2014, feature doc
● Muezzin – 2009, feature doc

Crew

Writer, director: Sebastian Brameshuber
Producers: Lixi Frank, David Bohun
Production Company: Panama Film
Cinematography: Klemens Hufnagl, Patrick Wally
Editor: Dane Komljen, Sebastian Brameshuber
Co-Writer: Anna Lehner
Original Sound: Matthias Kassmannhuber, Nora Czamler
Sound Design: Johannes Schmelzer-Ziringer, Aleksandra Stojanovic
Key Cast: Bobby Sommer, Clifford Agu, Lana Prerad

Festivals

Berlin International Film Festival, Germany (12 – 22 February, 2026)
Berlinale Panorama
Cinema du Reel, France (21 – 28 March, 2026)
International Competition
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Greece (5 – 15 March, 2026)
Open Horizons
Sofia International Film Festival, Bulgaria (12 – 31 March, 2026)
Documentary Competition

Password

Press materials

EPK: Click here

Stills, poster & directors photos: Click here

English and French subtitles: Click here

Embeddable trailer: Vimeo & Youtube

Downloadable excerpts & trailer: Click here

Press quotes & Jury statements

“Simple and radical in its framing and form, this film depicts through small gestures of the characters that become eloquent, within their everyday refusals and doubts; while showing the importance of sharing. A film that is not rushed, showing how time can be generous.”
Grand Prix Jury statement – Cinema du Reel ’26

“Among the diverse forms of ‘the real’, we have chosen to follow one particular path: that of a road movie diverted by economic and capitalist forces and shaped by the history of Europe’s flow. Feverish words are exchanged; a fragile hospitality is sought amidst solitude, despite trajectories that seem predetermined. By holding these tensions together, the film becomes a discreet allegory for a Europe riven by contradictions.”
Library Award Jury statement – Cinema du Reel ’26

“One of the year’s most insightful and thoughtful works.”
“A poignant meditation on life, memory and loneliness, London is an existential odyssey about finding salvation on the open road, told with wit, precision and an abundance of soul.”
“proves that the simplest of works can often contain the most profound ideas”
Review: Matthew Joseph Jenner – International Cinephile Society

“This hybrid approach is deceptively immersive, using its naturalism through a simple camera placement utilizing side profile reverse shots. Symbolically, the highway acts as another abstraction towards space and time, posing as a timeline of our historical and personal journeys.”
“For a film that is dialogue driven, one of the strongest aspects is the dialogue’s tender build up, but never explicitly explained.”
Review: Michael Granados – Film Fest Report

“A film that, in its apparent simplicity, is extremely complex and profound, meticulously thought through in every camera setup down to the smallest detail”
Review: Marina Pavido – Cinema Austriaco

“An intelligent and absorbing film with a thrilling sting in its tail.”
Review: Meredith Taylor – Filmuforia

“a rigorous, uncompromising work that fascinates through its introspection and minimalist approach”
Review: Massimo Iannetti – Uncle Yanco

“a very moving experience”
Review: Sean Erickson – Cineccentric

“In [its] constant linkage between past and present, fiction and documentary, London finds a singularly compelling path where words and dialogue become the primary support for character building.”
Review: En Primera Fila

“the film also opens up the political one, but never in a didactic, “loud” tone. That may make London so fascinating. Relevant and often divisive topics are addressed without much pathos”
Review: Sara Piazza – taz

Interview: Georg Szalai – The Hollywood Reporter

Interview: Marta Bałaga – Cineuropa