The Danish Oscar Submitting Committee made up of representatives from the film industry and the Danish Film Institute, has unanimously chosen 'The Girl with the Needle' as this year's Danish contender in the International Feature Film category for the Academy Awards in March 2025.
The Girl with the Needle has been chosen from a shortlist of three Danish films. The other films considered were 'Echo of You' by Zara Zerny and 'Sons' by Gustav Möller. All three films are produced with support from the Danish Film Institute.
Jacob Neiiendam, Head of International at The Danish Film Institute and chairperson of the Danish Oscar Submitting Committee, says:
Pigen med nålen
Den unge fabriksarbejder Karoline kæmper for at overleve i København i tiden lige efter 1. Verdenskrig. Da hun bliver arbejdsløs, forladt og gravid, møder hun Dagmar, en karismatisk kvinde, der driver et undergrundsadoptionsbureau, hvor hun hjælper mødre med at finde plejefamilier til deres uønskede børn.
The committee found 'The Girl with the Needle' the strongest Danish candidate to secure an Oscar nomination this year. It received a fantastic reception at its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and the North American premiere in Toronto — both prestigious film festivals, which in recent years have been crucial on the road to a nomination. The film will have its theatrical premiere in New York and Los Angeles on December 6, and the American distributor, Mubi, has hired experienced professionals to work hard to get an Oscar nomination.
About The Girl with the Needle
The film centres on Karoline, a young factory worker, who is struggling to survive in post WW1 Copenhagen. When she finds herself unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman running an underground adoption agency, helping mothers to find foster homes for their unwanted children. With nowhere else to turn, Karoline takes on the role of a wet nurse. A strong connection is formed between the two women, but Karoline's world shatters when she stumbles upon the shocking truth behind her work.
The film received great reviews at the World premiere during the Cannes Film Festival. The international critics especially praised the actors' performances and the cinematography. Deadline highlighted Magnus von Horn as a "…"…masterful talent…" and called the film “an unequivocal and beguiling triumph" while Screen International wrote the film had “…unrelentingly fascinating performances from Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm."
'The Girl with the Needle' is director Magnus von Horn's first Danish-language feature film. Von Horn's Swedish-produced feature debut 'The Here After' premiered at Cannes in 2015, while his second feature film, the Polish-produced 'Sweat', was part of the official programme at Cannes in 2020. Magnus von Horn and Line Langebek co-wrote the screenplay and Malene Blenkov produced the film for Nordisk Film Creative Alliance together with Mariusz Włodarski for Lava Films with support from The Danish Film Institute, The Swedish Film Institute, The Polish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Eurimages, among others.
The Match Factory holds world sales rights and the film will be released in New York and Los Angeles on December 6th by Mubi USA.
Danish Oscar Committee
The Danish Oscar Committee consists of Danish film professional representatives appointed from various film associations and guilds as requested by the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts & Science (AMPAS):
- Anne Østerud // Danish Film Editing Society
- Louise Mieritz // Danish Actors Association
- Søren Søndergaard // Danish Cinema Owners
- Frederik Villads // Danish Screenwriters
- Jacob Ludvigsen // Danish Film Critics Society
- Sebastian Cordes // Danish Directors Association
- Jacob Neiiendam // The Danish Film Institute
- Lena Juhl Seidelin // The Danish Film Institute
- Lone Korslund // Danish Producers Association
Oscar rules and dates
Each country may submit one film for nomination consideration in the International Feature Film category.
To be eligible in the International Feature Film category a film's domestic release date must be no earlier than November 1 2023 and no later than September 30 2024 and be publicly exhibited for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater.
For films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements, the Academy will allow films to qualify outside the country of origin, provided the film is theatrically exhibited outside of the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.
Full details on rules and eligibility can be found here
The offiical submission deadline is October 2. The Academy will announce all shortlists on December 17, including the 15 films that have a chance to become one of the five nominees in the International Feature Film category. The 97th Oscars take place on March 2 2024 in Los Angeles.