Danish films will be represented across several sections when Locarno Film Festival brings together the international film industry and audiences from 5 to 15 August.
Maria Bäck’s feature film ’Brave New Love’ has been selected for the festival’s main competition, Concorso Internazionale, where the film will have its world premiere. It is the first Danish feature film selected for the competition since Hlynur Pálmason’s ’Winter Brothers’ in 2017. ’Winter Brothers’ went on to win the award for Best Actor for Elliott Crosset Hove and helped bring international attention to both the film and its director.
Locarno is one of Europe’s key festivals for artistically distinctive films and new directorial voices. The festival’s main competition presents 17 world and international premieres competing for the festival’s top prize, the Pardo d’Oro.
A modern love story
’Brave New Love’ follows Kate, an imperfect woman. She lives happily with her husband, Orla, and their daughter, Athena, while also having a deep love affair with Andreas. After years of secrets and forbidden feelings, Kate’s world begins to fall apart, forcing her to confront her double life. Caught in a turbulent chaos of social norms, longing, desire, shame – and the accidental killing of a bird – Kate is thrown into an existential and clumsy struggle to reinvent love.
’Brave New Love’ is Maria Bäck’s first Danish feature film as a director. Anna-Maria Kantarius has produced the film for Snowglobe, with support from the Danish Film Institute through former film commissioner Kalle Bjerkø. REinvent handles international sales.
Two Danish documentaries in Locarno
Camille Bildsøe’s debut film ’If Luck Will Come’ will have its international premiere in Locarno Kids. The documentary follows two children in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where childhood is gradually replaced by responsibility, restrictions and the loss of freedom. The film had its world premiere at CPH, where it was selected for the NEXT Competition.
Emil Langballe’s ’Petrolheads’ will also have its international premiere in Locarno. The film has been selected for the independent section Semaine de la Critique, which presents documentaries as world or international premieres. ’Petrolheads’ also had its world premiere at CPH, where it was selected for the main competition. The film follows friends Martin and Casper, who share an all-consuming passion for cars and set out for Germany to find a used 1994 Honda Civic.
A festival for new talent
Since 1946, Locarno Film Festival has been an international showcase for independent cinema and new cinematic voices. The festival is known as a strong industry platform for emerging directors, producers and film professionals, as well as for its public screenings on Piazza Grande.
For more information about the festival
The Danish presence this year also includes two participants in Match Me!, Locarno’s networking programme for emerging producers. Giulia Triolo from Snowglobe and Mikkel Smidt from Napkin Productions have been invited to the programme, which aims to strengthen international networks, co-production opportunities and visibility for new production companies.
For more information about the programme
Locarno Film Festival runs from 5 to 15 August.
