News

Producers Alexander Glehr and Johanna Scherz have received the €20,000 ArteKino International Prize from the Cannes Marche du Film’s Investors Circle for Gentle Monster, to be directed by Marie Kreutzer.

Gentle Monster follows two women who shape their lives around men whose dark sides they prefer to ignore: Lucy, who moves to the country with Philip and their son despite professional restrictions on her; and Elsa, who balances her job as a police special investigator with caring for her demented father.

Glehr and Scherz produce through their Austrian company Film Ag Produktions GmbH, and have previously made titles including Kreutzer...

Exclusive: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen and Joachim Fjelstrup will lead the cast of Men With Problems, the new feature from Dogme 95 director Ole Christian Madsen.

Helena Danielsson is producing for Denmark’s Nordisk Film Production; the film is currently financing, ahead of a spring 2026 shoot on location in Mallorca.

Written by Madsen, comedy Men With Problems follows seven chronically depressed men who are selected for a new form of conversational therapy at a resort on Mallorca, only for the conflict-ridden group to come under attack from the pharmaceutical industry.

“The film we would like to make is less about depression as a clinical phenomenon,...

Few actors command the screen like Mads Mikkelsen. Known for his villains and antiheroes, Mikkelsen has tackled roles across nearly every genre. He’s played Bond villains, rogue archaeologists and even Hannibal Lecter. However, one of his most dramatic performances remains largely overlooked. Released in 2008, Flame and Citron is a war film that takes a different approach to the genre.

Based on true events, Flame and Citron is a film that refuses to feed the audience easy answers. Instead, it asks uncomfortable questions about duty, principles and survival, exposing the weaknesses of those who resist. But, despite its critical success, Flame and Citron remains relatively overlooked outside of Denmark. However, with its incredible performances, themes of resistance and art-house film status, it stands as one of the most unique WWII films ever made.

Flame and Citron Is One of the Largest Productions in the History of Danish Cinema

Flame and Citron...

Copenhagen-based TrustNordisk has inked multiple deals on the Danish thriller “Boundless,” based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s “Department Q” novel, which is currently dominating the Danish box office.

Ahead of the pic’s market screening Feb 17 at the Berlin European Film Market, the title, helmed by Ole Christian Madsen has sold to Wild Bunch Distribution for France, Vértigo Films for Spain, Frenetic Films for Switzerland, Film Europe Slovakia for Czech Republic, Vertigo Media for Hungary and Contents Panda for Korea.

“Boundless” is the second of six Department Q thrillers produced by Nordisk Film Production Denmark, after “The Marco Effect,” headlining Ulrich Thomsen as maverick detective Carl Mørck.

“It’s such a pleasure to handle this amazing ‘Department Q’ saga for Vértigo, and “Boundless” confirms again the power and seduction of this perfect thriller,” said Spanish distributor Andres Martín from Vértigo Films, who also acquired “The Marco Effect” from TrustNordisk.

In “Boundless,...

2023 was a year of sustained gains year-on-year across the Nordics, although moviegoing is still down 23%-30% from pre-covid times. The summer was exceptional thanks to the “Barbenheimer” mania that boosted all five Nordic countries. Iceland was the only territory where “Oppenheimer” ranked third, after the local comedy “Wild Game” one of three Icelandic titles that enabled local fare to jump 123% in box office for a 14% market share.

Norway enjoyed a solid year and a 27% market share for domestic fare, led by three blockbusters based on popular IPs, including the top seller “Christmas at Cobble Street.”

In Finland, the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon was perhaps the strongest among the Nordic nations, making July the biggest ever in Finnish cinema history. Also notable was the success of Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” the fourth biggest hit of the year, which helped local titles secure a 23.4% share.

Less glorious were results in Denmark where overall...

TrustNordisk has snapped up international sales rights to the new Danish crime thriller “Boundless,” based on fiction guru Jussi Adler-Olsen’s “Den Grænseløse,” his sixth novel in the Department Q series.

Danish helmer Ole Christian Madsen, credited for the HBO series “Banshee” (2013-16) and WWII drama “Flame & Citron” starring Mads Mikkelsen, has taken up the challenge of bringing Adler-Olsen’s suspenseful universe to the silver screens, working from a script by Jakob Weis.

Christian Madsen will reunite with his “Banshee” actor Ulrich Thomsen. The latter reprises the role of detective Carl Mørck, which he played in Nordisk Film Production’s previous Department Q film version, “The Marco Effect”.

The helmer said he has “a profound respect for the world built in Adler-Olsen’s novels, that he finds both “intriguing and fascinating.” “I do believe ‘Boundless’ the movie could expand that world even more,” he asserted.

In this new thriller,...

The program announcements continue for this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, with the Series and Generation strands both unveiling today, as well as the line-up for the Co-Production Market. Scroll down for the lists of titles.

The Berlinale Series selection, which is increasingly becoming a more high-profile part of the festival, again boasts several buzzy titles.

Premiering in Berlin will be Amazon Prime Video’s Argentinian series Yosi, The Regretful Spy, the Swedish show Lust from HBO Max, Sky’s UK series The Rising, and Lone Scherfig Danish show The Shift, which comes from local broadcaster TV2.

The Generation strand, which features youth-focused cinema, includes 14 features this year. The selection marks the last of long-time Generation head Maryanne Redpath.

Elsewhere, the European Film Market has confirmed titles for its Co-Production Market, which like the rest of the industry activity will take place virtually this year.

The Berlinale runs February 10-20 this year,...

Showrun by Oscar-nominated Danish director Lone Sherfig, “The Shift” will battle it out with Series Mania top winner “Blackport” and Canneseries winner “Countrymen” for 2022’s 6th Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize.

Also in contention are Finnish crime drama “Transport” and psychological thriller “Vi y Villa,” an early show from Sweden’s Discovery Plus.

All five titles, however diverse, underscore the strong social issue drive of much upscale Nordic and indeed European drama, affording a snapshot of larger tensions coursing society at large.

Winners of the Nordic TV Drama Screenplay Award, which goes to a show’s main writer, will receive a €20,000 cash prize, announced during the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision, a highlight of the festival, on Feb. 2.

“Good scripts form the basis of our strong Nordic drama series,. Writing talents should be cherished every day and celebrated through script honours and awards,” commented Liselott Forsman, CEO of...

Writer/directors Lone Scherfig and Ole Christian Madsen and producer Malene Blenkov formed Creative Alliance in 2013.

Danish production outfit Creative Alliance is becoming part of Nordisk Film Production, creating a new division called Nordisk Film – Creative Alliance.

Writer/directors Lone Scherfig and Ole Christian Madsen and producer Malene Blenkov formed Creative Alliance in 2013 and will all be part of the new division. The new deal takes effect on December 1.

Blenkov told Screen: “The industry has changed enormously in the last couple of years and our energising and inspiring conversations with the directors of Nordisk Film Production freed us to focus...

Danish production company Creative Alliance, which is run by Lone Scherfig, Ole Christian Madsen and Malene Blenkov, has struck an exclusive agreement with Nordisk Film Production.

Blenkov will head up the joint entity, Nordisk Film – Creative Alliance, which will act as a new division of Nordisk Film Production, alongside co-owners Scherfig and Madsen.

Founded in 2013, Creative Alliance has credits including Scherfig’s The Kindness Of Strangers and Madsen’s Krudttønden. It is currently in production on TV series The Shift, which is created by Scherfig and is being directed by Søren Balle and Madsen.

”High-quality productions are in high demand, and Creative Alliance has within a few years developed a line-up of new projects which we look forward to getting into production with a range of strong writers and directors. This collaboration gives us the possibility of maintaining our unique profile while at the same time lending from Nordisk Film’s capacity and strength.

In the latest of a flurry of collaborations in the European independent film and TV scene, Danish group Creative Alliance, the production outfit headed by directors Lone Scherfig (The Kindness of Strangers, An Education) and Ole Christian Madsen (Flame & Citron) and producer/CEO Malene Blenkov (The Kindness of Strangers, Backstabbing for Beginners), has signed an exclusive production agreement with Nordisk Film Production, the production arm of Scandinavian giant Nordisk Film.

The two companies will form a Nordisk Film-Creative Alliance division that Blenkov will run and that will operate under the auspices of Nordisk Film Production.

“High-quality productions are in high demand ...

In the latest of a flurry of collaborations in the European independent film and TV scene, Danish group Creative Alliance, the production outfit headed by directors Lone Scherfig (The Kindness of Strangers, An Education) and Ole Christian Madsen (Flame & Citron) and producer/CEO Malene Blenkov (The Kindness of Strangers, Backstabbing for Beginners), has signed an exclusive production agreement with Nordisk Film Production, the production arm of Scandinavian giant Nordisk Film.

The two companies will form a Nordisk Film-Creative Alliance division that Blenkov will run and that will operate under the auspices of Nordisk Film Production.

“High-quality productions are in high demand ...

Based on true events. In an icy cold Europe, people are slowly moving on after the shocking terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo. In Copenhagen, the newly released criminal Omar has his own agenda. Meanwhile filmmaker Finn, Jewish watchman Dan and the worn-out action force officer Rico live their various everyday lives unaware of their common destiny. All of them affected by a rapidly changing world while they try to make sense of their own, and too late realize that life changes in an instant, fast and merciless, leaving only one of them left to tell the story about the tragic attack that forever changed the country.   Ole Christian Madsen's (Flame & Citron) thriller Powder Keg is being released in North America from Samuel Goldwyn...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Powder Keg (Krudttønden) Samuel Goldwyn Films Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Ole Christian Madsen Writer: Lars Kristian Andersen, Ole Christian Madsen Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lars Brygmann, Jakob Oftebro, Sonja Richter, Nicolaj Kopernikus, Martin Greis-Rosenthal Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 7/29/21 Opens: September 3, 2021 The political situation […]

The post Powder Keg (Krudttonden) Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Oscar-nominated Danish director Lone Scherfig (“An Education”) will be making her return to television with “The Shift,” an emotional series set in a contemporary maternity ward headlined by Danish star Sofie Gråbøl.

The prestige eight-part series starts shooting this week, commissioned by Danish commercial channel TV2 and TV2 Play, and is being represented in international markets by Beta Film. Lone Scherfig is the series’ creator and main author, while Søren Balle serves as conceptual director and Ole Christian Madsen (“Banshee”) as guest director. Malene Blenkov produces for Creative Alliance, the production company of Ole Christian Madsen, Lone Scherfig and Malene Blenkov.

Described by Scherfig as “Nordic Light,” “The Shift” follows several characters within a maternity ward at a Danish hospital, lead by Ella (Gråbøl), the department head, who is surrounded by new life each day while secretly wishing for her own children; and pediatrician Jerry, whose marriage is falling apart...

Twenty participants from 13 European countries selected for scheme organised by the Erich Pommer Institut.

A new career enhancement programme for female producers in the European drama series sector has revealed its first cohort of 20 participants.

The inaugural edition of the Series’ Women edition, organised by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi), includes producers from 13 European countries and will foster access to industry markets, support the building of professional networks and offer access to top industry experts as mentors to take the producers’ careers to the next level.

Among those selected are Belgium’s Sarah Marks, a producer on Tim Mielants’ comedy-drama...

Samuel Goldwyn has acquired U.S. rights to Christina Rosendahl’s World War II-set drama “The Good Traitor” and Ole Christian Madsen’s Danish terrorist drama “The Day We Died” (“Powder Keg”) from REinvent.

Based on true events, “The Day We Died” is headlined by “Game Of Thrones” star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The film follows the journey of four people connected to the February 2015 terrorist attacks in Copenhagen: a newly released criminal, a filmmaker, a Jewish watchman and a police officer. Only one of them will be left alive. Coster-Waldau stars opposite Lars Brygmann, Albert Arthur Amiryan and Adam Buschard. Creative Alliance produced the film.

“The Good Traitor” is based on the true story of Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., Henrik Kauffmann. An unsung hero, Kauffmann was the Danish ambassador to Washington in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II and declared himself to be the only true representative...

REinvent is rolling into Cannes’ virtual Marché du Film with a pair of stylish horror film movies, Henrik Dahlsbakken’s “Project Z” whose teaser is featured above, and Tord Danielsson’s “The Other Side.”

Produced by Filmbros, “Project Z” follows a group of film students who bring along three unemployed actors to make a zombie movie at a closed motel in the Norwegian mountainside. Suddenly their fiction is turned into reality, when an unknown creature starts terrorizing the film set.

“Project Z” will be introduced to buyers for the first time at the Cannes market by REinvent. Sf Studios will be releasing the movie in Scandinavia.

“Horror films are hotter than ever internationally and we can’t wait to introduce both ‘Project Z’ and ‘The Other Side’ to the market during Cannes this week,” said Rikke Ennis, the founder of REinvent who was previously CEO of TrustNordisk.

“No doubt that...

Sf Studios International will close this week.

Leading Nordic independent studio Sf Studios has expanded its sales deal with Rikke Ennis’ REinvent Studios, to also include Sf’s new Nordic feature films and its huge library of more than 1,000 films.

For the past year, REinvent had handled Sf’s Nordic TV series.

The exclusive, multi-year deal means that Sf will this week shut down its in-house sales department, Sf Studios International, which had included a team of four people led by head of international sales Anita Simovic.

“This is a new approach for how we conduct international sales going forward,...

New films by Thomas Vinterberg, Charlotte Blom and Jonas Poher Rasmussen will be presented at the Goteborg Film Festival’s Nordic Film Market. In total, 16 films in post-production will be presented to industry participants in at the Nordic Film Market as part of the Work-in-Progress section. Half of the lineup is made up of first features.

Cia Edström, the head of the Nordic Film Market, said the industry showcase is seeing a big increase in participation this year. As many as 381 attendees from 25 countries so far have signed up for the event, including 37 sales agents, 67 festival programmers and 47 buyers. Edström noted the breadth and diversity of films and projects in this year’s program.

Vinterberg’s next film, “Another Round” is a modern drama starring Mads Mikkelsen. Represented in international markets by TrustNordisk, the film follows a group of high school teachers who embark on an experiment to be intoxicated...

The Day We Died

Denmark’s Ole Christian Madsen has elected to commemorate the 2015 terrorist attacks on Copenhagen with his latest film, The Day We Died (previously known as The Attack on Copenhagen and also Notat). Following in the footsteps of increasingly popular reenactments of terrorist attacks, this ends a six-year hiatus for Madsen. Produced by Malene Blenkov and lensed by John Christian Rosenlund, Madsen gets a high-profile cast led by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, supported by Jakob Oftbro, Sonja Richter and Nikolaj Kopernikus.…...

The Eurimages Lab Award at Haugesund has gone to Norwegian director Guro Bruusgaard for Him.

Norwegian director Guro Bruusgaard has won the Eurimages Lab iAward at Haugesund for Him.

The award—which is only eligible for a select group of work-in-progress projects that are more experimental in form or content – comes with a grant worth $55,500.

Him looks at the roles of contemporary men in society through stories of a boy, a 30-year-old man and a 60-year old man during one day in Oslo. The jury said Him offered a “relevant discussion made in a witty, intelligent and compassionate style”. No sales company is attached yet.

The 25th New Nordic Films, unspooling Aug. 20-23 parallel to the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, will kick off with the critically-lauded “A White, White Day” by Hlynur Pálmason. The Icelandic drama which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week, is among 19 films set to screen, of which 13 are world market premieres such as Jesper W. Nielsen’s thriller “The Exception,” Venice Critics Week’s pick “Psychosia,”, Venice Days’ entry “Beware of Children”, Jens Jonsson’s “The Spy” and Jesper Ganslandt’s “438 Days”.

The hot Works in Progress session has 20 titles to be pitched to more than 300 attendees. Gauging this year’s crop, New Nordic Films’ managing director Gyda Velvin Myklebust underlines the large number of local films, genre-driven and reality-based stories, as well as the healthy gender balance -half the films are female directed. “There are many new female talents to watch out for,” says Myklebust, citing the...

Ole Christian Madsen’s ambitious 10-part series is loosely inspired by real gangsters in Sweden.

Rikke Ennis’ Copenhagen-based REinvent Studios has come on board as a co-producer and international sales company for Ole Christian Madsen’s ambitious 10-part TV series 5 From Hell.

Malene Blenkov of Creative Alliance is producing the series, which is being financed now for a 2020 shoot and 2021 broadcast.

Viaplay is the show’s major backer and other partners are being lined up now.

The story is loosely inspired by real gangsters in Sweden but Ennis notes “there is also a lot of fiction to it.”

The first...

Petition calls for unified EU vision on copyright and culture.

Cannes Palme d’Or contenders Fatih Akin, Michael Haneke, Michel Hazanavicius have joined 80 top European film-makers in a petition calling for a unified European Union vision on copyright and culture in the digital age.

“We believe that European filmmaking reflects Europe’s positive values. That it can inspire ambition and renewal in Europe’s cultural policies. Europe isn’t just jobs, territories, markets and consumers, European culture also supports multiple identities, democracy and freedom of expression,” the petition said.

Published to coincide with the European Film Forum in Cannes on Monday, it highlighted four key areas where the European Union needed to renew and reinforce its legislation to protect European culture.

Top of the filmmakers’ demands was the maintaining of the territoriality of copyright.

The European Parliament voted last week in favour of a European Commission proposal to de-territorialise digital rights, but the directors...

Petition calls for unified EU vision on copyright and culture.

Cannes Palme d’Or contenders Fatih Akin, Michael Haneke, Michel Hazanavicius have joined 80 top European film-makers in a petition calling for a unified European Union vision on copyright and culture in the digital age.

“We believe that European filmmaking reflects Europe’s positive values. That it can inspire ambition and renewal in Europe’s cultural policies. Europe isn’t just jobs, territories, markets and consumers, European culture also supports multiple identities, democracy and freedom of expression,” the petition said.

Published to coincide with the European Film Forum in Cannes on Monday, it highlighted four key areas where the European Union needed to renew and reinforce its legislation to protect European culture.

Top of the filmmakers’ demands was the maintaining of the territoriality of copyright.

The European Parliament voted last week in favour of a European Commission proposal to de-territorialise digital rights, but the directors...

The fourth and final eight-episode season of Cinemax’s Emmy-winning drama series Banshee will premiere on January 29, the premium pay cabler announced today. Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Jonathan Tropper, Peter Macdissi, Adam Targum and Ole Christian Madsen will executive produce. Robert F. Phillips is producer. Debuting in January 2013, Banshee, created by Tropper and David Schickler, stars Antony Starr as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of…...

War drama to be submitted for the Best Foreign-Language Film category.

Denmark has selected Tobias Lindholm’s A War as its entry to the Best Foreign-Language Film Category at the 88thAcademy Awards.

The feature, which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival in the Horizons competition, is the story of a Danish military commander who is captured by the Taliban and accused of a war crime when he returns to Denmark.

The national selection commitee selected the film, which was released in Denmark on Sept 10 and is headed for festivals in Zurich and Reykjavik.

A War was picked from a shortlist of three which also included Anders Thomas Jensen’s Men & Chicken and Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary The Look of Silence.

Henrik Bo Nielsen, CEO of the Danish Film Institute and chair of the committee, said the committee chose Lindholm’s drama as it believed the film “would have the greatest chance to seize the attention...

Over the television year, not only do specific shows and specific seasons stand out, but so do specific episodes. Certain episodes rise above the rest of the television landscape in a variety of ways, whether it’s due to excellent direction, strong character exploration, or something else entirely. For the past few years, Sound on Sight TV has highlighted these standout episodes, both at the midpoint of the year and again in December, and thanks to its sheer quantity of fantastic television, 2015 brings our most extensive list yet. Presented below are the best episodes from the first half of the year (January through the end of May), as curated by a panel at Sound on Sight consisting of Editor in Chief Ricky D, TV Editor Kate Kulzick, Managing TV Editor Deepayan Sengupta, and TV contributors Simon Howell, Sean Colletti, Randy Dankievitch, and Whitney McIntosh.

Adventure Time, “Evergreen”

Written by Tom Herpich...

Cinemax has announced that production has begun on the fourth season of their Banshee TV show. The eight episodes will start airing some time in 2016.

Here's the press release:

Cinemax Announces Start Of Production For Fourth Season Of Hit Action Series "Banshee"

New York, April 8, 2015 - Production has begun in Pittsburgh on the fourth season of the Emmy(R)-winning Cinemax action series Banshee, it was announced today by Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming. The eight-episode season will air in 2016, with Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Jonathan Tropper, Peter Macdissi, Adam Targum and Ole Christian Madsen executive producing.

(more…)...

Finn Nørgaard was killed in an attack in the Danish capital on Saturday.

Danish director-producer Finn Nørgaard has been named as one of the victims of Saturday’s fatal shootings in Copenhagen.

Nørgaard, 55, was attending a debate on “Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Speech” in the east of the city when a gunman interrupted the debate and fired dozens of shots.

Nørgaard was reportedly struck in the chest by a bullet.

The gunman, 22-year-old Omar El-Hussein, then travelled to the Copenhagen synagogue where he shot dead Dan Uzan, 37, who was on security duty outside the building.

The gunman fled by car but was traced by police to the city’s Norrebro district. He opened fire when confronted and was fatally shot by officers. Five police officers were wounded in the attacks.

Nørgaard was a film and media graduate from the University of Copenhagen who worked as a producer at Danish public broadcaster Dr during the 1990s.

In 2001, he...

Banshee, Season 3: Episode 6 – “We Were All Someone Else Yesterday”

Written by Adam Targum

Directed by Oc Madsen

Airs Friday nights at 10 on Cinemax

A question that doesn’t neatly fit into any of the five stages of grief under the Kubler-Ross model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) is “What could I have done differently?” There are certainly elements of denial and bargaining within that, but the question on its own isn’t any one kind of reaction to losing someone; if anything, it comes from curiosity or doubt. Banshee has asked the question before. Season two’s “The Truth About Unicorns” asked how life might have been different if Carrie and Hood had had their planned future together. And like that episode, “We Were All Someone Else Yesterday” represents an alternate timeline of events through its black-and-white lens.

There are so many different questions Hood can ask himself that result in Siobhan living.

[Press Release] New York, Feb. 12, 2015 – The hit action series Banshee will return to Cinemax in 2016 for a fourth season of eight episodes, which will shoot in Pittsburgh, Pa., it was announced today by Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming. The Emmy®-winning show is currently in its third season, with episodes debuting Fridays at 10:00 p.m. (Et/Pt). Banshee’s fourth season will be executive produced by Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes, Jonathan Tropper, Peter Macdissi, Adam Targum and Ole Christian Madsen. Returning cast and crew will be announced when they are confirmed. Banshee’s third season launched last month to rave reviews. Yahoo! called the show “wildly witty,” and the Huffington Post described Banshee as “one of TV’s most reliable pleasures,”...

Banshee, Season 3: Episode 5 – “Tribal”

Written by Adam Targum

Directed by Oc Madsen

Airs Friday nights at 10 on Cinemax

If it’s worth quoting, it’s worth quoting twice:

“I don’t know if anyone ever changes, really. But we can evolve, right? I mean, that’s what we’re trying to do, isn’t it? Just become better versions of ourselves?”

- Deputy Siobhan Kelly

When it comes to episodic television, no one expects any show to simply be the best. If such objectivity existed, there would be no point in watching anything but the single best series out there. Everything else would be a waste of time, because energy would be spent on an inferior product. But that’s not how these things work. Every viewer has different tastes than the next. Some don’t like Banshee. Some absolutely love it. Instead of expecting or hoping a show...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

10 European actors to be celebrated by Efp in Berlin.

The UK’s Maisie Williams and Denmark’s Joachim Fjelstrup are among ten European acting talents to watch who have been selected for the line-up of European Film Promotion’s (Efp) Shooting Stars showcase at the 65th Berlinale (Feb 5-15).

An international jury of film professionals comprising Slovenian producer Danijel Hocevar, Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska, Swedish actress Eva Röse, UK film journalist Damon Wise, and French casting director Nathalie Cheron made its selection of six actresses and four actors from 23 nominations submitted by Efp member organisations.

The line-up for the 18th edition of Shooting Stars - with their nominated films - is as follows:

- Denmark: Joachim Fjelstrup (Itsi Bitsi)

- Finland: Emmi Parviainen (The Princess Of Egypt)

- Germany: Jannis Niewöhner (Sapphire Blue)

- Iceland: Hera Hilmer (Life In A Fishbowl)

- Ireland: Moe Dunford (Patrick’s Day)

- Lithuania: Aistė Diržiūtė (The Summer Of Sangaile)

- Spain:...

Industry@Tallinn will feature discussions involving the likes of Jessica Switch of Lionsgate and Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas of ICM Partners.

Industry@Tallinn has announced its full programme for its upcoming edition, running Nov 24-28 during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Organised by Black Nights and Baltic Event, the programme is targeted to over 500 regional film industry professionals.

This year’s industry talks will look into the impact of feature-length television on the film industry, business customs and practices for Asian collaboration, strategies of linking small scale talent and post production pools to major players, and rebel release tactics in distribution.

Speakers at this year’s event include Jessica Switch, director of development, Lionsgate; Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas, ICM Partners; Judy Ahn, head of international, Showbox/MediaPlex Entertainment; Matteo Solaro, Creative Europe/Media; and Sylvia Wroblewska, business and marketing director, Sheffield Doc/Fest.

The Film Festivals Confab will return in collaboration with Independent Cinema Office, focusing...

White God and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence bookend the 55th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

The 55th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Oct 31-Nov 9) kicks off today with the Cannes Certain Regard Gran Prix awarded White God by Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó.

It concludes November 9 with the Venice Golden Lion awarded A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence by Swedish director Roy Andersson.

Both directors will be present as they are set to also receive homages.

Also receiving tributes are legendary German actress Hanna Schygulla, Us director Ramin Bahrani and his Serbian colleague Želimir Žilnik.

They will enjoy retrospectives of their films and will offer master classes.

Among others attending are Fatih Akin to present The Cut, Ira Sachs to introduce Love Is Strange co-produced by local production powerhouse, Christos Konstantakopoulos’ Faliro House boasting among its international coproductions slate Jarmush’s Only Lovers Left Alive plus two upcomig Terrence Malick films in post...

Norway’s submission to the Oscars to open 56th edition; Jihlava docfest winners revealed.

Bent Hamer’s latest feature film 1001 Grams will be the opening film tonight for Lübeck’s Nordic Film Days (Oct 29 – Nov 2), which has a programme of 172 films screening from the North and North-East of Europe.

Norway’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar was co-produced by Cologne-based Pandora Film Produktion and will be released theatrically in Germany by Pandora’s distribution arm, Pandora Film Verleih, on December 18.

Ahead of 1001 Grams’ German premiere in Lübeck, co-producer Claudia Steffen and her partners at Pandora issued a statement expressing their concern „that one of our most important allies, the Film- und Medienstiftung Nrw, has faced significant cut-backs from its two main shareholders.“

Earlier this month, public broadcaster Wdr had revealed its intention to reduce its voluntary annual contribution to Germany’s leading regional film fund by $ 3.82m (€ 3m), and the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia...

Slovenian film Karpotrotter wins best documentary; No One’s Child gets audience awardScroll down for full list of winners

The 12th Zagreb Film Festival (Oct 19-26) ended with Georgian director Levan Koguashvili’s Blind Dates winning the main award of the festival, the Golden Pram and €4,000.

The Berlinale title, which also scooped prizes at Wiesbaden and Sofia, beat ten other first or second films by their directors.

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret and Benedikt Erlingsson’s Of Horses And Men received special mentions from the jury comprised of producer Čedomir Kolar, director Konstantin Bojanov, and cinematographer Cesar Charlone.

The same jury also awarded Romania’s Andrei Creţulescu the Golden Pram for Best Short Film and €1,000 euro for his 18-minute Kowalski.

In the documentary competition, the jury made up of film theoretician Alice Bardan, and directors Željka Suková and Petra Seliškar, gave the Golden Pram for Best Documentary and €1,000 to Slovenian film-maker Matjaž Ivanišin’s Karpotrotter, a lyrical...

Nils Malmros’ Sorrow and Joy has been submitted by Denmark for the Academy Awards.

Sorrow and Joy, known in Denmark as Sorg og glæde, has been submitted for the Best Foreign-Language Film category at the 87th Academy Awards.

Best Foreign-Language Film Academy Award submissions 2015

The Danish Oscar Committee chose the film directed by Nils Malmros from a shortlist that also included Niels Arden Oplev’s Speed Walking (Kapgang) and Pernille Fischer Christensen’s Someone You Love (En du elsker).

“It was a difficult decision, with three very personal films from well-known directors were are proud of, but it was an unanimous choice” said committee chairman Henrik Bo Nielsen, MD of the Danish Film Institute.

“After a long career, Malmros is still a strong narrator, who dares stand out – he is not afraid of approaching taboos, he deals with universal themes and gently touches us all.”

Launched at last year’s Rome Film Festival, Sorrow and [link...

Titles include Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear and Suha Arraf’s Villa Touma [pictured]; guests include Mike Leigh and Ruben Ostlund.

The Reykjavik International Film Festival (Sept 25 - Oct 5) has unveiled the 12 features in competition for the Golden Puffin award, reserved for first or second time directors.

They include Us drama Before I Disappear, from director Shawn Christensen, which picked up the audience audience at SXSW, where it received its world premiere.

Also in the running is family drama Villa Touma, from Palestinian/Israeli director Suha Arraf, which played at Venice and Toronto; and Grzegorz Jaroszuk’s Kebab and Horoscope, which debuted at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

The competition line-up includes:

Villa Touma,Suha ArrafThe Lack, Masbedo (It)Age of Cannibals, Johannes Naber (Ger)Before I Disappear, Shawn Christensen (Us-uk)Bonobo, Matthew Hammett Knott (UK)Heimurinn, Iris Elezi, Thomas LogorrheicThe Council of Birds, Timm Kröger (Ger)I Can Quit Whenever I Want,Sydney Sibilia (It)Kebab...

The protagonist of Itsi Bitsi goes on a search for himself that takes him through Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and into South Asia, and Danish director Ole Christian Madsen's countercultural odyssey is no less restless in its quest to find a definitive tone. Wildly sexy and freewheeling in its early action, it progresses through interludes of picaresque adventure, talky ideological debate, hippie-dippy lyricism, druggy hallucination and melancholy romantic longing. All that adds up to a vibrantly packaged film that rarely slows down long enough to allow us to connect with its central conflict of an unsustainable love.

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After a couple of years’ absence publicist/ producer, Richard Lormand is returning to Toronto with a satchel full of films. Check these out because when he chooses films, he chooses them well.

"Phoenix"

Christian Petzold

Disfigured Holocaust survivor Nina, now unrecognizable after facial reconstruction, returns to find out if her husband really loves her or actually betrayed her...

Starring "Barbara" leads Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld. Romance and reconstruction in post World War II Germany from the critically

acclaimed director of "Barbara" (Berlinale 2012 Best Director) and "Yella" (Berlinale 2007 Best Actress – Nina Hoss)

Present: Christian Petzold (director), Nina Hoss (actress), Florian Koerner von Gustorf (producer)

World Sales: The Match Factory

Fri 5 – 18:00 (Public 1 – Elgin/Visa Screening Room)

Sat 6 – 11:30 (Public 2 – Elgin/Visa Screening Room)

Sat 6 – 12:30 (Press/Industry 1 – Scotiabank 2)

Tue 9 - 14:00 (Press/Industry 2 - Scotiabank 14)

Fri 12 - 14:15 (Press/Industry 3 - Scotiabank 7

"Itsi Bitsi"

Ole Christian Madsen

In the soul-searching psychedelic 60s, a rebellious young man desperately tries to win a beautiful woman’s love by transforming from poet to writer, nomad to junkie and eventually rock star...

The new film by Ole Christian Madsen, acclaimed director of "Superclásico," "Flame and Citron" and "Prague."

Present: Ole Christian Madsen (director), Joachim Fjelstrup (actor), Marie Tourell Søderberg (actress), Lars Lars Bredo Rahbek (producer)

World Sales: The Match Factory

Sat 6 – 8:30 (Press/Industry 1 – Scotiabank 9)

Sat 6 – 17:15 (Public 1 – Scotiabank 4)

Sun 7 – 9:30 (Public 2 – Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

Tue 9 - 17:30 (Press/Industry 2 - Scotiabank 7)

Fri 12 – 17:00 (Public 3 – Isabel Bader)

"1001 Grams"

Bent Hamer

Urbane urbanite Marie is a thirty-something scientist whose life is rigorously controlled. When she attends a seminar in Paris on the actual weight of a kilo, it is her own measurement of disappointment, grief and, not least, love, that ends up on the scale. As she explores her new possibilities, everything seems to unfurl magically, beautiful.

Featuring Ane Dahl Torp (Pioneer, Cold Lunch) in a charmingly offbeat comedy from Norwegian master Bent Hamer ("Kitchen Stories," "O'Horten"). A co-production: Norway (BulBul), France (Slot Machine), Germany (Pandora)

Present: Bent Hamer (director), Ane Dahl Torp (actress), Marianne Slot (producer)

World Sales: Les Films du Losangne

Fri 5 – 14:00 (Press/Industry 1 – Scotiabank 3)

Sun 7 – 19:15 (Public 1 – Tiff Bell Lightbox 1)

Tue 9 - 9:30 (Press/Industry 2 - Scotiabank 4)

Tue 9 – 14:45 (Public 2 – Scotiabank 2)

Sun 14 – 19:00 (Public 3 – Tiff Bell Lightbox 1)

"Tigers"

Danis Tanovic

Devastated when he discovers the effects of the infant formula he’s peddling, a young salesman takes on a multinational corporation, in this based-on-fact drama from Academy Award-winning director Danis Tanovic ("No Man's Land").

Featuring Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi ("Once Upon a Time in Mumbai"). A co-production: India (Cinemorphic Pvt Ltd & Sikhya Entertainment), France (Asap Films)

Present: Danis Tanovic (director), Emraan Hashmi (actor), Geetanjali (actress), Khalid Abdalla (actor), Prashita Chaudhary (producer), Guneet Monga (producer), Cédomir Kolar (producer), Andy Paterson (producer, co-writer), Achin Jain (executive producer)

World Sales: The Match Factory

Sun 7 – 14:00 (Press/Industry 1 – Scotiabank 10)

Mon 8 – 21:45 (Public 1 – Scotiabank 1)

Wed 10 - 21:15 (Press/Industry 2 - Scotiabank 7)

Wed 10 – 21:30 (Public 2 – Scotiabank 3)

Sat 13 – 17:00 (Public 3 – Tiff Bell Lightbox 1

"Natural Resistance"

Jonathan Nossiter

Four Italian winegrowers of a rapidly spreading European natural wine revolution have encountered fierce resistance. Not everyone believes in their struggle for an ecologically progressive, economically just and historically rich expression of Italian

agriculture…

10 years after "Mondovino" world acclaimed director Jonathan Nossiter offers a model of charmed and joyous ecological and cinematic resistance against the new world economic order.

Present: Jonathan Nossiter (director)

Sat 6 – 11:15 (Press/Industry 1 – Scotiabank 7),

Mon 8 – 19:00 (Public 1 – Tiff Bell Lightbox 3)

Tue 9 – 19:00 (Public 2 – Jackman Hall)

Thu 11 – 17:45 (Public 3 – Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)...

Once again the publicist/ producer Richard Lormand has made his picks for the Venice Film Festival. His choices invariably are top-notch and his notes on the films show a deep love for his work. I always gravitate toward his films, as I often gravitate toward others’, both publicists and critics, whom I know to be the best. Why? Because we tend to like the same films.

By Richard Lormand

Greetings Venice-bound (or not) Film Lovers!

Here’s what’s going on with us at this year’s Mostra del Cinema on the Venice Lido…

"Dearest"(Qui’ Ai De) is a powerhouse of emotion. The ensemble cast represents some of China’s finest acting talents – leading actresses Zhao Wei and Hao Lei and actors Huang Bo, Tong Dawei and Zhang Yi all give knockout performances. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has made such an intriguing film from newspaper headlines – children gone missing, searching for them, dealing with the loss and sometimes dealing with finding them again. These incidents might not be new, but "Dearest" fascinated me because of thevery original and respectful treatment of this material by its astute writer-director. I really didn’t know where I was being taken. But I liked each new path in this heartbreaking journey of a movie. I felt every one of this film’s thousands of carefully constructed emotional moments. And Zhao Wei’s performance as the foster mother:wow!

"Ich Seh Ich Seh" ("Goodnight Mommy") is a real discovery. It’s clever, playful and it’s really good filmmaking. It’s horror, it’s European art house, it’s Austrian. And produced by bad boy director himself Ulrich Seidl. And it’s a first feature co-directed by sort of an odd pairing – not really related, not a romantic couple. But Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala definitely got something going (talent, intelligence and a passion for cinema) with their mix because the results are all over the screen. I won’t pitch you the horror scenes, but they are real fun and mean like they should be. But what really struck me about this film is that it is so amazingly gorgeous. Such a consistent impeccable taste in all that is beautiful, even the ugly. Oh, the cornfields, the forest. Mom’s bruised and bandaged face and head. Those mischievous twin boys. (By the way, “Ich Seh” is the child’s game “I Spy.” "Ich Seh Ich Seh" because of the twin boys. "Goodnight Mommy" because… Well, you’ll see.)

"The Cut" is Fatih Akin’s much anticipated new feature. It was destined to be controversial in some way or another because of the material, Fatih himself, so many possible reasons. And here it is finally. It’s without a doubt an epic – a big topic, big crowd scenes, wide open spaces, world travels. But "The Cut" is a very intimate epic about a man alone. A man who cheats the Armenian genocide, but sometimes survival is simply not enough. He will only live again through the search for his twin daughters. I admire how Fatih Akin courageously focused on the human side – the blood, sweat and tears - of this potent political subject matter. Fatih’s hero is Nazaret, a sort of Armenian “Everyman”, incarnated by Tahar Rahim whose face tells so many stories without words. Equally remarkable are "The Cut’s" production values. I was especially moved by the haunting beauty of the Armenian shanty town, backdrop for one of Fatih’s boldest scenes, one of many. Still flashing in my mind’s eye: Nazaret watching Chaplin on screen is such a fine Fatih Akin moment of cinema. And the title reference scene in the desert is Fatih Akin intensity like no one else’s.

"Altman" is such an enjoyable and informative documentary about the career of late great Robert Altman. I was very surprised. I see a lot of short, medium and feature-length films about directors, and sadly, I am usually disappointed by something. But Ron Mann’s "Altman" satisfied my bio-doc needs: strong linear structure, interesting archival footage, good interviews and narration and no abuse of movie excerpts. "Altman" actually relies on its own solid research and editorial savvy to remain captivating for 95 minutes. Altman’s wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, served as a consultant on the production and her intermittent narration add both credibility and heart to the film. Not only did I learn some things about Robert Altman, the film made me feel like I even got to know him a bit personally. And it’s a great feeling to think about his films: "Mash," "Short Cuts", "Nashville" "The Player"… "Altman" actually made me want to go back and see all of his movies again. Now that’s what I call an homage to a filmmaker.

"Tsili" is Amos Gitai’s latest exploration of cinematographic language, another manifestation of his passion for cinema. Inspired by an Aharon Appelfield novel in Yiddish, "Tsili" is one of the rare instances when Yiddish is heard in a movie. Young Jewish woman Tsili, hiding out in a Central European forest with the sounds of WWII not so far away, is actually played by three different women in Gitai’s film. Once again, actress Sarah Adler ("Jellyfish" proves that she’s got one of the most beguiling screen presences around today. I loved the visual and emotional treatment of Tsili’s nest. For such sad and lonely subject matter, "Tsili" actually feels quite celebratory. A celebration of life and cinema. "Tsili" is another fine example that Amos Gitai is both an innovator who breaks the rules and a fierce defender of the traditions of pure cinema. He has played not only an essential role in Israeli cinema history, but also in European and international cinema.

"Bypass" is UK writer-director Duane Hopkins’ second film. He previously made the acclaimed "Better Things" (Cannes 2008 – Critics Week). Similarly in "Bypass," this young filmmaker continues to show a real talent for balancing bleakness and hope. I was particularly struck by the aesthetics of "Bypass," as I’m quite sure you will be too. "Bypass" is simply gorgeous to look at. It’s a true example of artistry applied to film. But Duane doesn’t sacrifice his love of the characters for the sake of the film’s beauty. Everything is centered around the outstanding leading performance by George MacKay as troubled Tim who works part-time as a criminal to keep his family afloat. MacKay’s Tim is calmly tense and fascinating to watch. As Tim’s situation becomes more dangerous, Duane shows a knack for crime genre. But just as important – perhaps even more – is Tim’s love for Lilly. It’s as if lovely actress Charlotte Spencer actually incarnated love and hope on the screen.

Quick note: I return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with four films: Christian Petzold’s "Phoenix", Ole Christian Madsen’s "Itsi Bitsi," Bent Hamer’s "1001 Grams" and Danis Tanovic’s "Tigers." More on these Toronto world premieres soon.

Includes films by Niels Arden Oplev, Pernille Fischer Christensen and Nils Malmros.

The Danish Oscar committee has shortlisted three films, one of which will be submitted as Denmark’s official entry for the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

They include Niels Arden Oplev’s Speed Walking, Pernille Fischer Christensen’s Someone to Love You and Nils Malmros’ Sorrow and Joy.

The films were chosen from a longlist of 18 features and four documentaries. The committee is expected to name the final candidate on Sept 18.

Denmark has had a strong showing at the Oscars in recent years, with two nominations and a win for Susanne Bier’s In A Better World in 2011.

The announcement of the five foreign films nominated for the Oscar will be made on Jan 15, 2015. The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

Speed Walking is set in 1970s Denmark and follows adolescent Martin, whose mother...

If you wanted a snapshot of worldly issues then Tiff’s Contemporary World Cinema programme would certainly serve as a whirlwind passport. Loaded in Cannes Film Festival preemed items receiving their North American Premiere debuts (Jessica Hausner’s Amour Fou, Mélanie Laurent’s Breathe , Bruno Dumont’s P’tit Quinquin and Pascale Ferran’s Bird People are are just the tip of the iceberg) Tiff programmers have landed world premiere items from the likes of Cristián Jiménez, Ole Christian Madsen, Alex Holdridge & Linnea Saasen (we pic above) and Baran bo Odar. Along with the Canadian items mentioned last week, Here is the largest section’s offerings for 2014.

“Aire Libre,” Anahí Berneri, Argentina / International Premiere

“Amour Fou,” Jessica Hausner, Austria/Luxembourg/Germany / North American Premiere

“Behavior” (“Conducta”), Ernesto Daranas, Cuba / Canadian Premiere

“Bird People,” Pascale Ferran, France / North American Premiere

“Black Souls” (“Anime Nere”), Francesco Munzi, Italy / International Premiere

“Breathe” (“Respire”), Mélanie Laurent,...

This morning the Toronto Film Festival added several more films to their lineup including the world premiere of Thomas McCarthy's The Cobbler which stars Adam Sandler as a New York City cobbler who, disenchanted with the grind of daily life, stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. The film co-stars Method Man, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman. Additionally, Sundance standouts Infinity Polar Bear and Laggies starring Keira Knightley and Chloe Grace Moretz were added to the Gala selection. Joining The Cobbler as new additions to the Special Presentations field include Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria starring Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche and Two Days, One Night from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Marion Cotillard. Both films made a splash at Cannes earlier this year,...

Toronto film festival organisers have programmed features from 42 countries in the Contemporary World Cinema (Cwc) programme and unveiled eight South Korean selections in the City To City.

Cwc features latest work by Jessica Hausner, Rolf de Heer, Christian Zübert and Ryuichi Hiroki, among others.

For the third year, Tiff (Sept 4-14) has partnered with the University of Toronto’s Munk School Of Global Affairs on the Contemporary World Speakers series, pairing five films in selection with expert scholars.

The Contemporary World Speakers series is programmed in conjunction with the Tiff Adult Learning department.

Contemporary World Cinema

Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.

Aire Libre (Argentina), Anahí Berneri IP

Amour Fou (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany), Jessica Hausner Nap

Behavior (Conducta) (Cuba), Ernesto Daranas Cp

Bird People (France), Pascale Ferran Nap

Black Souls (Anime Nere) (Italy), Francesco Munzi IP

Breathe (Respire) (France), Mélanie Laurent Nap

Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer Nap

*John Stackhouse...