Admirable mention and enhanced sales were the rewards for the quartet of Danish films entered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF (4-13 September). The four films and their sales companies are:Everlasting Moments / TrustNordisk
Sold to IFC for North American distribution is Jan Troell and Final Cut's period drama "Everlasting Moments". In his review for Variety, Todd McCarthy writes on Troell's 'gift of seeing' as something he possesses in overwhelming abundance, and adds that "he has the talent to allow the viewer to see the souls of his characters and the salient details of the world they inhabit." Screen's reviewer describes the film as a rich canvas of working class life, a film that has "quality stamped all over it", and predicts that "awards are likely to come its way whether for direction, photography or the performances of Maria Heiskanen and Mikael Persbrandt."Fear Me Not / TrustNordisk
Kristian Levring and Zentropa's "Fear Me Not", yet to be released in Denmark, has already attracted international interest. The film was sold in Toronto to IFC for distribution in North America. In his review for Screen, Mike Goodridge describes Levring's fourth feature "as an unnerving psychological drama that perfectly captures the self-involvement, anxiety and perpetual search for happiness which plague the chattering classes." He adds that the film is "anchored by a chilling performance from Ulrich Thomsen as a man descending into a 'crise de nerfs'. "Fear Me Not" is selected for the Official Competition at San Sebastian festival, which kicks off next week.Flame & Citron / The Match Factory
This year's hit in Danish cinemas is Ole Christian Madsen and Nimbus Film's WW2 drama "Flame & Citron" with a formidable 670,000 admissions. After its promotion in Toronto, sales territories have risen to 25, including the US and Germany. Film critic Todd Brown writes: "Madsen never loses sight of what he does best, which is to tell real stories about real people. He never allows spectacle to overwhelm the story and as a result Flame & Citron is one of the most effective war pictures of recent days." He adds that this "subtly written" film is "a beautifully crafted, flawlessly performed bit of work, very impressive on all counts."Sunshine Barry & the Disco Worms / Sola Media
In Toronto Thomas Borch Nielsen and Crone Film's 3-D computer animation "Sunshine Barry" sold to more territories, including the Baltics, Benelux and India. Sola Media have previously engaged sales in 40 countries, including CIS, Brazil, Turkey and the Middle East. In Toronto's Sprocket's Family Zone programme, Allan Braude writes: "Fuelled by disco music's infectious energy, Sunshine Barry & the Disco Worms is a comic and toe-tapping animated tale about a young worm pursuing a dream: to entertain the insect world through the power of the boogie!", and adds that the film has a "clever script and an amusing cast (...), this is a joyous story about a spirited worm out to prove that having no arms or legs is no obstacle (…). It is certain to inspire laughter, excitement and perhaps even a little dancing."For further information:DFI Factsheets & international mention or reviews
Everlasting Moments, review in Variety, Screen
Fear Me Not, review in Screen
Flame & Citron, review in Twitch
Sunshine Barry & The Disco Worms, mention in the Toronto programme
Danish Film Institute (DFI)
Christian Juhl Lemche, +45 2148 8522, christianjl@dfi.dk
Vicki Marie Synnott, +45 3374 3438, vickis@dfi.dk