The festival program includes westerns, comedies and melodramas, tinted films and sharp black and white films. We will screen films from great directors such as John Ford, Victor Sjöström and Charlie Chaplin, great international silent film stars such as Greta Garbo, and Hollywood stars Lillian Gish and Anna May Wong – and the Danish artists who were absolutely leading the way in the silent film era: Carl Th. Dreyer behind the camera and Asta Nielsen in front of it.

Masterpieces, world premieres and forgotten treasures

We will screen masterpieces such as Die freudlose Gasse, The Scarlet Letter, Song and Safety Last! and two world premieres of new restorations of Don Q, Son of Zorro and Carl Th. Dreyer’s Die Gezeichneten. But the festival also aims to (re)discover forgotten treasures and lesser-known classics like John Ford’s very first film (a western, of course!), the forgotten French masterpiece Dans la nuit and the silent film miracle Menschen am Sonntag which was made on a shoestring budget by at the time completely unknown filmmakers Billy Wilder, Fred Zinneman, Edgar Ulmer and Robert Siodmak. 

Archive workshop and entertaining lecture 

We invite you to delve into the film history at an archive workshop on the work of preserving and future-proofing film material, and the festival also offers an entertaining lecture on fan culture in the silent film era, where stars like Asta Nielsen received the wittiest and most amazing letters from fans around the world. Both the archive workshop and the lecture are open to everyone, and free of charge. 

Chaplin, Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy

No silent film festival without traditions: we will – as always – show some of the most well-known and beloved classics Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy. This is a great opportunity to introduce the younger generations to silent films – we guarantee good laughs and high entertainment value.

Musical accompaniment, Sounding Silents and a film concert

Music is an integral part of the festival, and we are happy to present Lars Fjeldmose, Ronen Thalmay, Mette Smidl and the internationally renowned silent film pianist Stephen Horne as musicians for this year’s festival. On Sunday January 25 we will host the event Sounding Silents, where young talents from the Danish music conservatories compose new music for the centennial films and thus create a modern festive performance that is open to everyone (and even free of charge). And then we end the festival with a spectacular film concert with a special screening of Carl Th. Dreyer's Master of the House with live musical accompaniment by Messiaen Quartet Copenhagen, who have put together a new score for the film.

Enjoy the festival!

Thomas C. Christensen and Sophie Engberg Sonne
Festival curators, Danish Film Institute