Several projects first pitched in Gothenburg last January as works in progress will screen for the first time, such as New Nordic Films’ opening film Phoenix by Camilla Strøm Henriksen, Anna Odell’s X&Y, Juha Lehtola’s The Human Part and Samadou Acheche Sahlström’s drama Until We Fall (previously known as Happy People).

Other market premieres include Bille August’s period drama A Fortunate Man, the San Sebastian competition title Neon Heart by Denmark’s Laurits Flensted-Jensen and the Icelandic drama Let Me Fall by Baldvin Z (Life in a Fishbowl).

“Iceland has an exceptional year and we’re proud to screen as many as five Icelandic films, including the Cannes Critics Week’s hit A Woman at War,” said New Nordic Films’ managing director Gyda Myklebust.

The Works in Progress session has seven innovative titles vying for the €50,000 Eurimages Lab project Award, and many directorial debuts (7 out of 16 films), including the political thriller Sons of Denmark by Ulaa Salim. “We have quite a few newcomers, coming from film schools, setting up their own production company,” notes Myklebust. “Their films are very personal, dealing with current issues such as climate change and immigration.”

Bigger budget films include the Danish drama In Love & War by Kasper Torsting starring Sebastian Jessen, Thure Lindhardt and Rosalinde Mynster, Queen of Hearts by May El-Toukhy starring Trine Dyrholm and Magnus Krepper and Ted Kjelsson´s sci-fi family film Alone in Space about a friendly alien and two kids fighting for survival in space.

Full list of Works in Progress (*Eurimages Lab project award contenders)

SWEDEN

  • Season* (Säsong) by John Skoog (Plattform Produktion)The Longest Day* (Den längsta dagen) by Jonas Selberg Augustsén (Art & Bob Film & Drama/Empire Pictures)
  • Let's Do Some Living in the Afterlife* by Giovanni Bucchieri (French Quarter Film)
  • Lucky One* by Mia Engberg (Story/Mechanix Film/Helsinki-filmi)

FINLAND

  • Aurora by Miia Tervo (Dionysos Film)
  • Diva of Finland by Maria K. Mononen (Silva Mysterium)

DENMARK

  • In Love & War (I krig & kærlighed) by Kasper Torsting (Fridthjof Film/Film United/Letterbox/Nordfilm/Tamtam Film)
  • Queen of Hearts (Dronningen) by May el-Toukhy (Nordisk Film Production)
  • Out of Tune (De frivillige) by Frederikke Aspöck (SF Studios)
  • Sons of Denmark (Danmarks sønner) by Ulaa Salim (Hyæne Film)

NORWAY

  • Psychobitch by Martin Lund (Ape&Bjørn/Profile Pictures)
  • We Are Here Now* (Vi er her nå) by Mariken Halle (Alternativet Produksjon AS)
  • Burning Man* by Itonje Guttormsen (Mer Film/Andropia)

ICELAND

  • It Hatched* by Elvar Gunarsson (Rammara/Hero)


Full list of market premiere screenings
 SWEDEN

  • A Moon on My Own (Ted - För kärlekens skull) by Hannes Holm (StellaNova Film) 
  • Aniara by Pella Kågerman, Hugo Lilja (Meta Film Stockholm) 
  • Bergman- A Year in a Life (Bergman ett år ett liv) by Jane Magnusson (TriArt) 
  • Border (Gräns) by Ali Abbasi (Meta Film Stockholm/Spark & Kärnfilm) 
  • Alone in Space (Ensamma i rymden) by Ted Kjellsson (Nice Drama) 
  • X&Y by Anna Odell (B-Reel Films) 
  • Reconstructing Utøya by Carl Javér (Vilda Bomben Film/Polarfox/FilmCamp/Made in Copenhagen)

 FINLAND

  • Happier Times, Grump (Ilosia aikoja, Mielensäpahoittaja) by Tiina Lymi (Solar Films) 
  • Land of Hope (Oma maa) by Markku Pölönen (Solar Films) 
  • The Human Part (Ihmisen osa) by Juha Lehtola (Bufo/Smile Entertainment)

 ICELAND 

  • Pity the Lovers (Vesalings elskendur) by Maximilian Hult (LittleBig Productions) 
  • Vultures (Vargur) by Börkur Sigthorsson (RVK Studios) 
  • Mihkel (Halastjarnan) by Ari Alexander, Ergis Magnússon (Truenorth, Horizon Productions, Aumingja Ísland) 
  • Let Me Fall (Lof mér að falla) by Baldvin Z (Icelandic Film Company) 
  • Woman at War (Kona fer i strid) by Benedikt Erlignsson (Slot Machine/Gulldrengurinn)    

DENMARK

  • Happy Ending by Hella Joof (Happy Ending Film & TV) 
  • A Fortunate Man (Lykke-Per) by Billy August (Nordisk Film Production/Satel Film GMBH) 
  • Neon Heart by Laurits Flensted-Jensen (Walenciak Film) 
  • Until We Fall (Til vi falder) by Samanou Acheche Sahlström (Meta Film)
  • Land of Glass (Landet af glas) by Marie Rønn, Jeppe Vig Find (Pilot Film)

NORWAY

  • Phoenix (Føniks) by Camilla Strøm Henriksen (Hummelfilm)
  • Now It's Dark by Arild Østin Ommundsen (Chezville)
  • Operasjon mørkemann by Grethe Bøe (Filmkameratene)  
  • The Tower (Tårnet) by Mats Grorud (tenk.tv)