Clown best film at Fantasia

AWARD. The subversive humour of Mikkel Nørgaard's "Clown" earned it the Cheval Noir at the key genre film festival Fantasia in Montreal.

Considered one of the most important festivals on the genre film scene, the Montreal-based Fantasia International Film Festival ended on Sunday awarding its top prize, the Cheval Noir, to Mikkel Nørgaard and Zentropa's off-beat comedy "Clown".

"This charmingly subversive take on fatherhood features excellent ensemble acting with deft and seamless direction. So wrong and shameless in so many ways that it was a real blast to watch," the jury states in its motivation. Fantasia International Film Festival

"A edgy brew" says Variety

Nørgaard's debut feature follows the two stand-up comedians Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen on an unconventional canoe trip in the Danish country side. The film features several celebrities in cameo roles, including filmmakers Jørgen Leth and Mads Brügger. 

"Hanging the comedy on the character of an emasculated male attempting to find himself in a feminized world, director Mikkel Norgaard serves up an edgy brew that skewers just about everything Danish in sight, including the Dogma style of cinema, which comes off as increasingly passé," Variety's Robert Koehler wrote it his festival review. Read review 

Solid boxoffice hit

"Clown" premiered in December 2010 and has proven a solid success in Scandinavia. With admissions in Denmark reaching nearly 900,000 Nørgaard's comedy ranks as the best-selling Danish film at the domestic boxoffice in over ten years.

TrustNordisk handles international sales.

Watch trailer