Oscar nomination to A Royal Affair

NOMINATION. Nikolaj Arcel's historical drama "A Royal Affair" about passion and politics is selected as one of the five final candidates for this year's Foreign Language Oscar.

Nikolaj Arcel's "A Royal Affair" is nominated as one of the five films to compete for a Best Foreign Language Oscar 2013, as announced today by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles.

Henrik Bo Nielsen, CEO of the Danish Film Institute, congratulates the filmmakers behind "A Royal Affair" and comments on the nomination:

"A Danish film has been shortlisted in the Foreign Language category three years running, and now for the second time the film made it through to the final nomination round. To be able to show results like these is a privilege for any small nation."

"A Royal Affair" is also in the run for a Golden Globe (announced 13 January) and a Critics' Choice Award (announced 10 January evening).

"A Royal Affair", a story about a dramatic love affair that changed the course of Danish history in the early 1770s, enjoyed its world premiere at the Berlinale in February 2012, where the film won two Silver Bears: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for best script and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard for best actor.

The film opened in US theatres in November and is sold to all territories. In England and Australia it became the highest grossing Danish-language film after only a few weeks in release. Since opening in Danish cinemas in March, "A Royal Affair" has been seen by more than half a million Danes which makes it the third most popular Danish film in 2012.

"A Royal Affair" is Nikolaj Arcel's fourth feature film and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard. The film is produced by Louise Vesth, Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Meta Louise Foldager for Zentropa with support from The Danish Film Institute.

Danish Oscars and nominees over the years

For the third time in six years, a Danish feature film is nominated for an Oscar. In 2007 Susanne Bier received an Academy Award nomination for "After the Wedding", and in 2011 Bier went all the way and picked up an Oscar for "In a Better World".

Danish Oscar winners in the Best Foreign Language category also include Gabriel Axel's "Babette's Feast" (in 1988) and Bille August's "Pelle the Conqueror" (in 1989). 

See overview of Danish Oscars and nominees in feature films, short films and documentaries

The five nominees in the Foreign Language category

  • "A Royal Affair" by Nikolaj Arcel (Denmark)
  • "Amour" by Michael Haneke (Austria)
  • "Kon-tiki" by Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg (Norway)
  • "No" by Pablo Larrain (Chile)
  • "War Witch" by Kim Nguyen (Canada)

The 85th Academy Awards will take place on 24 February in Los Angeles.

www.oscars.org