Success for Danish cinema

Press
release19.12.2003
For the third year
running admissions to Danish cinemas will reach the 12 million mark, and
the market share for national films will account for more than 3 million
tickets sold.
The Danish Film
Institute (DFI) estimates that the final figure for 2003 will be 12.5
million tickets, with 3.1 million admissions for Danish films. By
comparison, in the 1990s the average annual box office was 9.9 million
admissions, of which Danish films accounted for 1.8 million.
Per Fly and Zentropa's
"Inheritance" was the year's best seller with 375,000 admissions, followed
by Sachs Bostrup and Grasten's "Anja After Viktor" with 350,000
admissions. Admissions to Anders Thomas Jensen and M & M's "The Green
Butchers" reached over a quarter million.
The year's releases
demonstrated considerable breadth: of a total of 24 feature films no fewer
than six were aimed at the children's and family market. 2003 is also the
year in which Danish youth films returned to the cinema - with Carsten
Myllerup and Cosmo's "Midsummer", Aage Rais Nordentoft and Jutlandia's
"Kick'n Rush" and for release on Christmas day is Anders Gustafsson and
Nimbus' "Scratch" .
The multi-award winning
debut feature and Caméra d'Or recipient "Reconstruction", by Christoffer
Bo and produced by Nordisk, was a great art-house success with over 50,000
admissions, and Lars von Trier and Zentropa's "Dogville" was seen by more
than 110,000 moviegoers.
The DFI estimate of 3.1
million admissions for national fare will account for 25 percent of the
total box office. By comparison with other European countries the share of
the market enjoyed by Danish films is impressive. Last year Denmark was
only beaten by France with its national market share of 33 percent
achieved on the basis of 200 features as opposed to Denmark's
19!
While some other markets
have seen a decrease at their box office, the fact that this has not
extended into Danish territory is primarily due to the high market share
enjoyed by national films. Indications are that 2004 may turn out to be an
excellent year for Danish film even though in the first six months we will
feel the results of the break in Danish film production occasioned by the
long wait for the media agreement, the government's film agreement as well
as the agreement between the producers and the TV broadcasters; a break
that has already been noticeable this autumn.
Next year will provide
films by a number of Danish directors who have enjoyed considerable
success in recent years: Susanne Bier, Charlotte Sachs Bostrup, Erik
Clausen, Jacob Grønlykke, Hella Joof, Anders Rønnow Klarlund, Jesper W.
Nielsen, Annette K. Olesen, Lotte Svendsen, Thomas Vinterberg and Bille
August.
Audiences can also look
forward to interesting films by several debuting directors: Nikolaj Arcel,
Paprika Steen, and Jacob Thuesen. 2004 will also provide Danish films for
children and young adults directed by Kasper Barfoed, Stefan Fjeldmark,
Peter Flinth, Jannik Hastrup, Linda Krogsøe Holmberg, Karsten Kiilerich
and Michael Hegner.
Table: current
figures Danish films www.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/generelle_moduler/fb/index.asp?pid=13800
Table: Danish
cinema admissions 1980-2002 www.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/generelle_moduler/fb/index.asp?pid=4700
Releases
2004 www.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/generelle_moduler/fb/index.asp?pid=220
Danish Film Year
2003 in figures (article from FILM #33, December 2004) www.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/index_english.asp?pid=18100
High market
share (article from FILM #33, December 2004) http://www.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/index_english.asp?pid=18110

For further information
Danish Film InstituteLars Fiil-Jensen, tel
+45 3374 3559, larsf@dfi.dkVicki Synnott, tel + 45 3374
3438, vickis@dfi.dk