The annual Nordic mini-market New Nordic Films (August 19-22) held parallel to the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with a programme comprising a record number of Works in Progress (20), market screening of 21 new Nordic films of which 17 world premieres, and 20 projects looking for co-producers.

More than 300 international professionals –including nearly 60 buyers-are expected again on the shores of the picturesque coastal town of Haugesund, looking for the latest Nordic film gems to acquire, co-produce or programme, and many should go back home with signed memos, considering the variety of titles and talents represented.

“We are very proud to be screening 17 world premieres at the market [out of 21 market screenings] and we made a point of selecting only the latest quality titles still open for many world territories,” stressed New Nordic Films director Gyda Velvin Myklebust. Among those are the Finnish/Swedish comedy The Raspberry Boat Refugee (pictured) selected as opening film, TrustNordisk’s The Absent One by Mikkel Nørgaard and Speed Walking by Niels Arden Oplev, SF International’s first Norwegian car chase movie Børning and Ella Lemhagen’s adaptation of the best-selling novel The Boy with the Golden Pants. Myklebust cites as interesting new directors to watch out for Denmark’s Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm with his drama In Your Arms, sold by Celluloid Dreams, and Sweden’s Ronnie Sandahl whose film Underdog about Swedish immigrants in Norway is sold by The Yellow Affair.

The popular Works in Progress sessions will be twice as numerous as last year, with many attractive new projects looking for sales agents and distribution. Those include the latest works by Finland’s top directors Klaus Härö (The Fencer) and Jörn Donner (Comeback), the feature debut of Norway’s Student Academy Award nominated Izer Aliu (Hunting Flies), and Icelandic newcomer Bjarni Haukur Thórsson’s stage to screen adaptation Granddad starring the national star actor Sigurður Sigurjónsson.
TrustNordisk is representing six Works in Progress, including the commercially-oriented The Shamer’s Daughter and Key House Mirror by Michael Noer (Northwest), LevelK the Danish film Comeback by Natasha Arthy and Yellow Affair Headfirst, the feature debut of Finland’s Antti Heikki Pesonen, 2009 winner of Nordic Talents Pitch Award.

Among the 20 projects at the Co-production and Finance Market looking for co-producers and co-financiers are In the Blood, the feature debut of Danish prolific writer Rasmus Heisterberg (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/A Royal Affair), In Front of Other People by Iceland’s experienced director Oskar Jonasson (Reykjavik Rotterdam), and What Will People Say, second feature by Norway’s award-winning Iram Haq (I Am Yours).

Myklebust stresses the exceptional presence this year of representatives from nearly 30 European film funds part of the Cine Regio network which will hold its annual meeting in Haugesund and the topicality of the panel ‘The Role of the Distributor in a Changing Market’. Panellists confirmed include Lone Korslund (Nordisk Film), Mattias Nohrborg (TriArt), Rikke Ennis (TrustNordisk) and Klaus Rasmussen (Global Screen).

New Nordic Films is supported among others by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

 

For further information check: www.filmfestivalen.no