A Girl Named Willow
A Girl Named Willow is a 2025 German-Austrian family fantasy film directed by Mike Marzuk and based on Sabine Bohlmann’s children's books. The story centers on Willow, who inherits a forest, a crooked little house, and a gift for witchcraft from her great aunt Alwina. To save the forest, she must find three other girls with witchcraft and work together, with Rufus the fox always by her side.
Cast highlights include Ava Petsch as Willow, Cora Trube as Valentina, Anna von Seld as Gretchen, Mary Tölle as Lotti, Golo Euler as Adam, and Diana Amft as Gundula.
The movie was shot from June 18 to August 12, 2024, in Bavaria and Austria. It was produced by SamFilm, Constantin Film, and Alias Film, with Ewa Karlström, Andreas Ulmke-Smeaton, and Bernd Schiller as producers. The score was composed by Fabian Römer, and Matthias Pötsch was the cinematographer. Sabine Bohlmann makes a guest appearance, tying the film to its literary origin.
A Girl Named Willow premiered on February 23, 2025, in Munich, with a general cinema release in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland on February 27, 2025. The film has been praised for its family-friendly magic, heartfelt themes, and strong performances by young actors, though some critics note a few script weaknesses and fewer surprises. Overall, it’s seen as a charming, magical coming-of-age story about friendship, solidarity, and a bond with nature.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:25 (CET).