Thomas Vinterberg and 'Another Round' heading to the Oscars

OSCAR 2021. ‘Another Round' has received an Oscar nomination, and the film's director Thomas Vinterberg is nominated in the direction category. Next stop is the world’s most glamorous awards ceremony taking place in Los Angeles on 25 April.

The Danish drama 'Another Round' and director Thomas Vinterberg have advanced to the final round of the Oscars.

This became clear Monday when the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony on 25 April.

The Thomas Vinterberg and Zentropa drama, about four burnt-out high-school teachers and their quest for the perfect blood alcohol concentration, has been named as one of the final five contenders in the International Feature Film category.

Moreover, Thomas Vinterberg is nominated in the Directing category, which marks the first time a Danish director is selected for this category.

CEO of the Danish Film Institute, Claus Ladegaard, says:

"The anticipation is finally over. In an unusual year, 'Another Round' stands out as an unusual film with extraordinary reach. Since its rave reception in Denmark last autumn, we have watched how this story about four men in midlife crisis has resonated with international audiences. The film has struck a chord thanks to its original angle on a familiar theme about feeling alive, a drama told with nerve and energy that does not take the easy way out.

"Thomas Vinterberg is now in the running for an Oscar for the second time, again with a supreme Mads Mikkelsen as his leading man. And what a fantastic feat that Vinterberg himself is nominated in the direction category.

"Zentropa is making Danish Oscar history with its fifth nomination in the international category. The Academy’s selection of ‘Another Round' is a tribute, not just to the creative and skilled team that has already achieved so much with their film. It’s also a tribute to a high-performing Danish film industry. Huge congratulations!"

High-profile Oscar team

Thomas Vinterberg wrote the film’s screenplay with Tobias Lindholm, who also co-wrote Vinterberg’s Oscar-nominated 'The Hunt'. In 2015, Lindholm was nominated for his drama ‘A War’. 

Zentropa’s Sisse Graum Jørgensen, who produced the film with Kasper Dissing, is a prominent name in Danish Oscar history. 

With the nomination of 'Another Round', Graum Jørgensen has now produced five Danish films that have been nominated for Best International Feature Film. The other films are 'After the Wedding' (2007) and 'In a Better World' (winner in 2011), Nikolaj Arcel’s 'A Royal Affair' (2013) and Thomas Vinterberg’s 'The Hunt' (2014). 

The road to the Oscars

‘Another Round' was recently nominated in four categories for this year’s BAFTAs, the British Academy film awards, which are handed out on 10 and 11 April. This followed its nomination for at the Golden Globes.

Thomas Vinterberg’s ensemble drama had its official premiere in the prestigious Official Selection at Cannes, while world premiering in a physical setting at the Toronto Film Festival.

Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe jointly won the best actor award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, while the film took home the main award at the London Film Festival. In addition, 'Another Round' won four awards at the European Film Awards – for best director, actor and screenplay, and the top prize for best film.

In Denmark, 'Another Round' was received enthusiastically, selling nearly 802,000 admissions before cinemas closed back down again in December. 

'Another Round' has been sold for distribution in most of the world. The film had its American theatrical and streaming release in December.

More Danish film people

The nominees include 'The Letter Room' in the Short Film Live Action category, which features, from Denmark, director Elvira Lind, associate producer Sara Stockmann and editor Adam Nielsen.

Danish editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen is nominated in Film Editing for his work on 'Sound of Metal'.

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on 25 April.

Nominees

International Feature Film:

Another Round
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?

Directing:

Thomas Vinterberg / Another Round
David Fincher / Mank
Lee Isaac Chung / Minari
Chloé Zhao / Nomadland
Emerald Fennell / Promising Young Woman


Danish films and the Oscars

Below is an overview of Danish Oscar entries in the international feature film category since Susanne Bier's winner from 2011, 'In a Better World'. Sorted by awards ceremony year:

2021 Another Round / Thomas Vinterberg / Oscar nomination
2020 Queen of Hearts / May el-Toukhy
2019 The Guilty / Gustav Möller / Oscar shortlist
2018 You Disappear / Peter Schønau Fog
2017 Land of Mine / Martin Zandvliet / Oscar nomination
2016 A War / Tobias Lindholm / Oscar nomination
2015 Sorrow and Joy / Nils Malmros
2014 The Hunt / Thomas Vinterberg / Oscar nomination
2013 A Royal Affair / Nikolaj Arcel / Oscar nomination
2012 Superclásico / Ole Christian Madsen / Oscar shortlist
2011 In a Better World / Susanne Bier / Oscar winner

Three Danish films have won an Oscar in the international feature film category: Susanne Bier's 'In a Better World' in 2011, Bille August's 'Pelle the Conqueror' in 1989 and Gabriel Axel's 'Babette's Feast' in 1988.

Thomas Vinterberg is the first Dane to be nominated in the Directing category. 

See full list of nominations and awards for Danish films on our Oscar page.