Berlin selects five Danish films



Press
release20.01.2005
Five Danish films are
selected to participate in competition programmes at the 55th Berlin
International Film Festival (10-20 February, 2005):
Screening in the
competition programme at the International Film Festival in Berlin 2005
will be Jacob Thuesen's feature film debut "Accused", a drama written by
Kim Fupz Aakeson and produced by Thomas Heinesen for Nordisk Film.
Thuesen, renowned editor come director, helmed the award-winning feature
length documentary "Under New York" (1996) and was also editor on Lars von
Trier's "The Kingdom".
"Accused" is a
hair-raising psychological thriller about Henrik, a likeable family man
whose life takes a dramatic turn when he is arrested and charged with a
serious crime. Troels Lyby plays Henrik, and Sofie Gråbøl his wife, Nina,
who is his sole support when his world falls apart.
Four Danish children's
films are competing at the Berlinale's Kinderfilmfest. Jannik Hastrup's
animated feature film "Little Big Mouse", Maria Mac Dalland's animation
film "Odin's Eye", Morten Giese's "My Dad is a Champ", and Karla Nielsen's
graduation project from the National Film School of Denmark "The Shadow in
Sara".
Animation grand master
Jannik Hastrup has competed at the Kinderfilmfest twice before. In 2003
with "Circleen - Mice and Romance" and in 2001 with the festival hit and
international award winner "The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Bear", which
received a Special Mention at the festival. "Little Big Mouse" is
currently showing in theatres across Denmark.
Maria Mac Dalland's
unique animation film "Odin's Eye" is an interpretation of Norse
mythology, visually inspired, among other things, by ancient rock
engravings. In Morten Giese's short feature film "My Dad is a Champ"
10-year-old Stefan sets out to find his father, whom he has not seen for
several years. All he knows about his father is that he is a boxer, who
travels around the world. Karla Nielsen's animation film "The Shadow in
Sara" is the story of Sara, who has a bad day and feels misunderstood and
alone.
Shooting Star:
Jacob CedergrenActor Jacob Cedergren has been chosen as a
Shooting Star at this year's festival. The Shooting Stars initiative aims
at nurturing young actors and actresses and provides them with a unique
opportunity to broaden their international networking base.
Jacob Cedergren had his
breakthrough in the successful tv-series "The Spider". On the silver
screen, however, he is best known for his role in Jannik Johansen's 2003
comedy "Stealing Rembrandt". Next year will see Cedergren in two Danish
feature films, Dagur Kari's "Dark Horse" and Martin Schmidt's "Bag det
stille ydre" (English title to be announced).
European
MarketThe European Film Market will include screenings of all
the above mentioned films and a further eight Danish feature films, a
children's short film programme, and two feature-length documentary
films:
Feature films:
"Chinaman" by Henrik Ruben Genz and Fine & Mellow; "Young Andersen" by
Rumle Hammerich and Nordisk Film; "Dear Wendy" by Thomas Vinterberg and
Nimbus Film; "Sharks" by Lasse Spang Olsen and ASA Film; "The Sun King" by
Tomas Villum Jensen and Thura Film. Three children's feature films: "Oskar
& Josefine" by Carsten Myllerup and Cosmo Film; "The Fakir" by Peter
Flinth and M & M Productions; and "My Sister's Kids in Egypt" by
Kasper Barfoed and Moonlight Filmproduction.
The children's short
film programme includes: "My Dad is a Champ" by Stine Spang-Hansen and
Nimbus Film; "The Ones Overthere and the Others" by Zisksa Szemes and
Dansk Tegnefilm; and "Cheer Up" by Michael W. Horsten and Magic Hour
Films.
Feature-length
documentary films: "The German Secret" by Lars Johansson and Final Cut;
and "The Swenkas" by Jeppe Rønde and Cosmo Film.
Scandinavian
StandThe DFI will be present at the Scandinavian Stand in the
Berlinale Film Market together with the Nordic film institutes and the
sales companies, Trust Film Sales, Nordisk Film International Sales, AB
Svensk Filmindustri and NonStop Sales. Information at
www.berlin.dkOverviews
of facts sheets for DFI films, screening times, and press photos for the
Danish films in the various programmes and the market can be found at this
website.
For further
information:Danish Film Institute
Berlin websitewww.berlin.dfi.dk
55th Berlin
International Film Festivalwww.berlinale.deDFI
Fact Sheets"Accused"www.dfi.dk/dfi/english/featurefilms/14799.htm"Little
Big Sister"www.dfi.dk/dfi/english/featurefilms/14766.htm"Odin's
Eye" www.dfi.dk/dfi/english/shortfilms/odinseye.htm"My
Dad is a Champ"www.dfi.dk/dfi/english/shortfilms/mydadisachamp.htm"The
Shadow in Sara"www.filmskolen.dk/afgangsfilm/animation/skyggenisara.html
Danish Film Institute (DFI)
Feature Films:Charlotte Appelgren, +45 3374 3506, +45 2244 0037, charlotte@dfi.dkChristian Juhl
Lemche, +45 3374 3464, +45 2148 8522, christianjl@dfi.dkShort &
documentary films:Anne Marie Kürstein, + 45 3374 3609, +45 4041 4697,
kurstein@dfi.dkVicki Synnott, +45
3374 3438, +45 5054 5011 vickis@dfi.dk