Two Danish films running for an Oscar


Two Danish films are competing for an Oscar: Susanne Bier's feature film "After the Wedding" is nominated in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' category of Best Foreign Language film, and Søren Pilmark's short fiction "Helmer and Son" in the category of Best Short Film (Live Action).
"After the Wedding" by Susanne Bier and ZentropaProduced by Sisse Graum Jørgensen for Zentropa Productions, "After the Wedding" captured Danish audiences and admissions totalled some 400,000. Internationally, Bier's "After the Wedding" has also met with considerable success. It opened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival in Canada last September, and was welcomed by an enthusiastic audience. The film will be released by IFC in the US in spring, and is secured distribution in some 45 other territories.
Bier has directed a number of critically acclaimed feature films, all backed by a large Danish audience: "Brothers" (2004), "Open Hearts" (2002), and "The One and Only" (1999).
During recent years, Bier has also achieved international renown. This has brought her to the US, where she is currently in post-production with the feature film "Things We Lost in the Fire" (release to be announced), with Halle Berry and Benico Del Toro.
"Helmer and Son" by Søren Pilmark and Nordisk FilmProduced by Leila Vestgaard and René Ezra for Nordisk Film, "Helmer and Son" is directed by renowned Danish actor, Søren Pilmark. The film is one of the productions under Nordisk Film's strategic pool which develops new talents, thus the director, producer and scriptwriter behind "Helmer and Son" are newcomers in their respective fields to Danish film.
Managing Director at Nordisk Film, Kim Magnusson is himself, as producer, an Oscar-winner and thrice nominee.   
Oscars won by DanesOn two occasions Denmark has won an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film: Gabriel Axel's "Babette's Feast" won an Academy Award in 1988 and Bille August's "Pelle the Conqueror" won in 1989. Kaspar Rostrup's "Waltzing Regitze" was nominated in this category and ran in the 1990 Academy Awards.
In recent years, a number of Danish short films have received nominations, two have been bestowed with an Oscar: "Election Night" (Anders Thomas Jensen, 1998), "This Charming Man" (Martin Strange-Hansen, 2002).
The National Film School of Denmark has received four Academy Awards (the so-called Baby-Oscar) for student films: Ingrid Oustrup Jensen's "Over My Dead Body" in 1983, Reza Parsa's "Never" in 1996, Martin Strange-Hansen's "Feeding Desire" in 2002, and Laurits Munch-Petersen's "Between Us" in 2004.
This year's Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 25 February.
For further information:
DFI factsheetAfter the Wedding
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscar)www.oscars.orgDanish Film Institute Anders Geertsen, Head of Distribution & Marketing, +45 2097 3400, andersg@dfi.dk