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“The Wrong Track” is a Netflix movie starring Trond Fausa Aurvåg and Ada Eide. It is written by Vilde Klohs and Lars Gudmestad, and directed by Hallvar Witzø.

“The Wrong Track” is a Netflix film starring Trond Fausa Aurvåg and Ada Eide. It’s written by Vilde Klohs and Lars Gudmestad, and directed by Hallvar Witzø.

Norway is known for its beautiful fjords, friendly people, and of course, snow. So it’s no surprise that its inhabitants have practiced skiing as a sport since time immemorial, and it has rightfully become the national sport. “The Wrong Track” takes us into the world of skiing and an endurance race, but above all, it introduces us to characters who, through cross-country skiing, try to overcome daily life, emotional setbacks, and simply continue living.

They do this, of course, with the help of sports and skiing in particular.

Plot

The story follows Emilie...

December was a great year for Netflix, as it premiered many popular titles. Among them, it was a disaster miniseries that became a huge streaming success.

The polarizing miniseries La Palma debuted on the platform on Dec. 12. Only five weeks later, after enjoying several weeks in Netflix's Top 10, La Palma joined a prestigious list: the Top 10 Most Popular Non-English Shows. The series is currently in eighth place. This comes after the Norwegian miniseries was the fifth most-watched series between the week of Dec. 19 and Dec. 25 on all streaming platforms.

Related New Harlan Coben Series Continues a Major Netflix Trend

Acclaimed author Harlan Coben's latest Netflix series continues a positive trend for the executive producer.

La Palma starred Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, and Ingrid Bolsø Berdal. Martin Sundland (The Quake) created the four-episode miniseries with Lars Gudmestad (Headhunters), and Harald Rosenløw Eeg (The Wave). Kasper Barfoed (The Nurse) directed the series,...

Netflix's latest disaster show is trending on a new streaming chart despite a weak reception from audiences. Stories of disaster, both real and fictional, have tended to find an audience on Netflix. Society of the Snow, from director J.J. Bayona, was the third most-watched Netflix film for the first half of 2024. The drama unfolds in 1972, focusing on the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's experience in 1972 and their ordeal after a flight crashed in the Andes Mountains.

Under Paris was also not too far behind as the fourth most-watched film during that same period. Directed by Xavier Gens, who wrote the script with Yannick Dahan, Maud Heywang, Yaël Langmann and Olivier Torres, the French film centered on a grieving marine biologist who has to save Paris from a giant shark. As the new year begins, though, a miniseries, with only four episodes, is showing signs of success.

La Palma has been dominating the Netflix charts shortly following its release in December 2024. While it can be a quick binge for some, leaving them wanting more, the good news is that many other shows and movies like it exist. The Norwegian disaster drama miniseries, created by Martin Sundland, Lars Gudmestad, and Harald Rosenløw Eeg and directed by Kasper Barfoed, chronicles an imminent volcanic eruption that results in a tsunami, headed straight toward the island of La Palma, a part of Spain's Canary Islands. La Palma's characters include a Norwegian family on vacation and researchers who first discover the impending threat.

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La Palma

A Norwegian family vacationing in La Palma faces chaos when a young researcher uncovers disturbing evidence of potential volcanic activity. As fears escalate, the possibility of a catastrophic eruption and tsunami looms, threatening...

When an imminent volcanic eruption threatens to create global catastrophe, a young scientist races to sound the alarm before it strikes. La Palma follows a group of geological researchers and a family of four confronting a potential ecological crisis. Created by Martin Sundland (The Quake), Lars Gudmestad (Headhunters), and Harald Rosenløw Eeg (The Wave), La Palma was directed by Kasper Barfoed (The Nurse). The series, co-written by Gudmestad and Rosenløw Eeg, stars Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, and Ingrid Bolsø Berdal.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page. 

On the picturesque island of La Palma, a freak accident kills tourists aboard a glass-bottomed boat. Days later, Fredrik (Baasmo) and Jennifer (Berdal) and their kids, Sara (Günther) and Tobias (Storm Lager), arrive for their annual vacation on the island and are feeling lucky when they get a major room upgrade. But their good fortune...

An unexpected (and now largely panned) TV series has exploded into the #1 spot on Netflix’s top 10. The limited series, which was released earlier this month with little fanfare, is titled La Palma and follows a Norwegian family who, while vacationing on the titular island, suddenly find themselves fighting for survival amid a natural disaster. La Palma has taken the streaming platform by storm, beating out the likes of Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano’s dark comedy series No Good Deed, Jamie Foxx’s stand-up special Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was..., and the critical hit spy thriller series Black Doves.

Created by Martin Sundland, Lars Gudmestad, and Harald Rosenløw-Eeg, La Palma stars Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Cold Prey), Anders Baasmo (Welcome to Norway), Alma Günther (Another Happy Christmas), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Thea Sofie Loch Næss (The Last Kingdom), and is only four episodes long, making it perfect for binge-watching.

What does a perfect Christmas vacation look like? A white Christmas with snow in Colorado or a beach resort in Hawaii? The Netflix suspense, La Palma, follows a Norwegian family that vacation in the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands of Spain. The show was created by Martin Sundland, Lars Gudmestad, and Harald Rosenlow-Eeg and directed by Kasper Barfoed.

The miniseries starts off with two Norwegian girls who vacation on a tourist boat. One decides to jump into the water as they see the water turns acidic. The tourists realize they’re in a perilous situation and have no way of escaping the acidic waters as the boat collapses. There were no survivors.

The main Norwegian family, Frederik (Anders Baasmo) and Jennifer (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), along with their children Sara (Alma Gunther) and Tobias (Bernard Storm Lager), arrive in La Palma checking into their hotel. They have vacationed...

‘Safe House’ To Open Göteborg Film Festival

Eirik Svensson’s Safe House (Før Mørket) will kick of the 48th Göteburg Film Festival on January 24, 2025. The film’s screenplay, written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad, is based on real events from the autobiography ‘Det Finnes Ingen de Andre – Det er Bare Oss” by Lindis Hurum, Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders in Norway. It’s set during the civil war in the Central African Republic in 2013, when on Christmas Eve, a desperate Muslim man seeks refuge at a field hospital, while a threatening Christian militia gathers outside, demanding his life. Norwegian aid worker Linn (Kristine Kujath Thorp) faces a series of moral dilemmas as she strives to protect the man without endangering her colleagues’ safety. Alexander Karim, Bibi Tanga, Mattis Hermann Nyquist, Tracy Gotoas, and Alma Pöysti are also among the cast. Safe — which is from Fantefilm and co-produced with Film i Väst,...

Civil war drama ‘Safe House’ is set to world premiere as the opening feature of the 48th Goteborg Film Festival (January 24-February 2).

Directed by Norway’s Eirik Svensson, the film is set in the Central African Republic during the civil war in 2013. It begins when a Muslim man seeks refuge at a field hospital as a threatening Christian militia gathers outside, demanding his life. At the centre of the events is a Norwegian aid worker played by Kristine Kujath Thorp.

The screenplay is written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad, and is based on real events from the autobiography...

Netflix has dropped the trailer for La Palma, a four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries created by the team behind the popular films The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. The series, which premieres on December 12, sets a new standard for visual effects in Norway with its breathtaking and intense scenes.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. Directed by Kasper Barfoed, the series is written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad.

Harald Rosenløw Eeg & Lars Gudmestad, writers:

It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and how they push themself to overcome fears.

La Palma also pushes the boundaries of what...

Netflix has released the trailer for the four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries La Palma, created by the team behind the hit movies The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. The series premieres on December 12 and raises the bar for visual effects in Norway with stunning and thrilling scenes.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. It is directed by Kasper Barfoed.

Harald Rosenløw Eeg & Lars Gudmestad, writers:

It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and how they push themself to overcome fears.

La Palma also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible to achieve with visual effects in a Norwegian TV series.

Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for the four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries La Palma, which comes from the creators of The Wave, The Quake, and The Burning Sea. Netflix says that the series, which premieres on December 12, sets a new standard in visual effects in Norway.

La Palma stars Anders Baasmo, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Thorbjørn Harr. The series was directed by Kasper Barfoed.

The drama series follows Norwegian tourists caught in a massive volcanic eruption on the picturesque Canary Islands. Facing toxic ash, lava, and chaos, they must fight for survival as they race to safety.

“It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale. The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and...

An explosive confrontation between a Muslim man and a Christian mob in an African nation on the brink is at the heart of “Safe House,” an upcoming drama from Norwegian filmmaker Eirik Svensson. The film, which is being repped internationally by TrustNordisk, was presented among the works in progress this week at the Finnish Film Affair in Helsinki.

Written by prolific screenwriters Harald Rosenløw-Eeg and Lars Gudmestad, “Safe House” is based on the real-life story of Lindis Hurum, a Norwegian field worker with the aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) who was stationed in the Central African Republic when civil war erupted in 2013.

The story unfolds on Christmas Eve at a field hospital outside a refugee camp in the capital, Bangui. As Hurum and her colleagues tirelessly work to save lives, a desperate Muslim man rushes into the clinic, fleeing persecution by an angry Christian mob. As the...

TrustNordisk has boarded international sales on Eirik Svensson’s Africa-set drama Safe House, starring Sick Of Myself and Ninjababy star Kristine Kujath Thorp.

Based on real events, the film depicts 15 hours at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic on Christmas Eve 2013, when a Muslim man being persecuted by a mob entered the hospital.

Filming wrapped in South Africa in March, with dialogue on the film predominantly in English with elements of Norwegian, French and Sango, the national language of the Central African Republic. TrustNordisk will present the title and a promo to buyers at this month’s Cannes market.

Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Arctic Convoy,” a Norwegian naval thriller that is set in the middle of World War II. The film is from the producers of “The Wave” trilogy, so it’s a homecoming of sorts given that Magnolia released all three installments of that series.

“Arctic Convoy” is directed by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken and written by Christian Sibenherz, Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad. Magnolia is planning a 2024 release for the picture.

The film unfolds in 1942, as the leader of a convoy carrying vital military supplies to a Norwegian outpost decides to proceed through treacherous, enemy-infested waters despite the recall of their military escort. Fighting for their lives against German air and naval forces, the 35 civilian merchant ships brave brutal Arctic seas to bring much-needed support to soldiers on the front lines.

The film is produced by Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen and Thea Benedikte Karlsen for FanteFilm.

Zachary Levi’s holiday movie Teddy’s Christmas has set its U.S. release date, Deadline reports. The Norwegian family Christmas feature centers around a young girl and her new teddy bear (Levi) and uses a mix of live-action and CGI to bring this fantastical world to life. Directed by Andrea Eckerbom, the feature is based on Alf Prøysen’s song ‘Teddybjørnens Vise,’ written for the screen by Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad.

Exclusive: Capelight Pictures said Tuesday that it is partnering with Blue Fox Entertainment to present Fantefilm’s Norwegian family Christmas feature Teddy’s Christmas in U.S. theaters nationwide on December 1, 2023.

The film stars Zachary Levi (Shazam!) as the voice of the animated title character, Teddy, in the English-dubbed version of Andrea Eckerbom’s hit Norwegian CGI-live action hybrid. Marte Klerck-Nilssen, Jan Gunnar Røise (The Thing), Nader Khademi (Countrymen) and Mariann Hole (Made in Oslo) also are in the voice cast.

The holiday story, which centers on an 8-year-old girl who pursues an adventurous living teddy bear, mixes live-action and CGI animation. While visiting a Christmas market, Mariann suddenly sees an unbelievable sight: on the top shelf of a carnival game booth, the most adorable stuffed teddy bear has just moved his head and sneezed. Feeling an instant connection, Mariann can’t think of any better Christmas wish than to win him as a prize.

The prolific Dahlsbakken has previously directed Munch, Possession and Returning Home.

TrustNordisk has boarded international sales for the action drama Convoy (working title), directed by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken. The project is budgeted at $6.6m (Euros 6m).

The World War 2 naval drama, inspired by real historical events, is produced by Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen & Thea Benedikte Karlsen for FanteFilm, which is behind disaster hits such as The North Sea, The Quake and The Wave. Backers include Norwegian Film Institute, Film i Väst and FilmInvest.

The cast is yet to be revealed. 

The prolific Dahlsbakken has previously directed Munch, Possession and Returning Home.

Cph: Dox Sets 2023 Main Competition

The Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, affectionately known as Cph: Dox, has set the full lineup for its 2023 edition. This year, the festival will screen more than 200 new documentaries, with over 100 world premieres – the largest number at Cph: Dox. Christoffer Guldbrandsen’s long-awaited film A Storm Foretold about Donald Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone will debut at the fest alongside a new doc by One Child Nation director Lynn Zhang. This year Cph: Dox also celebrates 20 years. Guests set to visit include Wim Wenders, Joan Baez, Nathan Fielder, and Jeremy Deller. You can check out the full lineup here.

Norway’s Rubicon TV Hires ‘Headhunters’ Writer Lars Gudmestad

Norwegian scripted outfit Rubicon TV has hired writer and producer Lars Gudmestad as Executive Producer. He will begin the position in April 2023. Gudmestad has worked extensively across film and TV, with credits on productions like Morten Tyldum...

Norwegian disaster movies The Wave and The Quake marked out an interesting middle ground in the genre. They eschewed the tiny, insular, approach of something like Right At Your Door, but didn’t quite have the budget to compete with the vast scale of the likes of Roland Emmerich’s CGI choked productions, but they turned their limitations very much to their advantage. Where Emmerich and others in Hollywood tend to favour spectacle over emotion, these films leaned in to character, and deployed their limited but high quality effects to make us feel the peril and therefore identify with the well drawn characters.

The Burning Sea, to my slight disappointment, doesn’t follow Kristoffer Joner’s character into yet another disaster, as if he were John McClane but it was nature, rather than terrorists, repeatedly trying to kill him. Instead, the film focuses on Sofia (Kristine Kujath Thorp), a robot...

Magnet Releasing will release The Burning Sea in theaters and on demand February 25, 2022 Directed by John Andreas Andersen Written by Lars Gudmestad and Harald Rosenløw-Eeg Starring Kristine Kujath Thorp, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Anders Baasmo, Bjørn Floberg, and Anneke von der Lippe In 1969, the Norwegian government announces their discovery of one of the world’s largest oil …

The post Magnet Releasing’s The Burning Sea appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Joe Wright’s Cyrano twirls onto 797 screens, the highest-profile specialty release in weeks (as the market awaits Focus Features The Outfit with Mark Rylance and Sony Pictures Classics Mothering Sunday). But the well reviewed period musical romance from Uar starring Peter Dinklage is landing in a tough place. Industry estimates anticipate a low single digit opening given the inconsistent reception for movie musicals and the fact that its key older demos, especially women, have been the slowest to return to theaters.

Cyrano is based on Edmond Ronstand’s late 19th century drama Cyrano de Bergerac – itself loosely based on a French nobleman known for bold adventures and a large nose. It premiered at Telluride last year, had a weeklong LA theatrical run in Dec. and garnered an Oscar nomination for Costume Design (and BAFTA nom for Outstanding British Film of the Year). It’s 86% Certified Fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a film hinged on a killer ocean rift, the most outlandish portion of Norwegian disaster-movie-savant John Andreas Andersen’s “The Burning Sea” occurs when the people in authority — when presented with the scientific facts of the matter — make the right decision. In Norway, oil is truly liquid gold. Though the country, in reality, hopes to become a leader on climate change, the region stands as one of the world’s leaders in exporting that fossil fuel. For Andersen, the contradiction seems rife for big explosions and large devastation, for

The third film in a disaster trilogy that began with “The Wave” flowing seamlessly into “The Quake,” a fake documentary launches “The Burning Sea.” An older oil man, living in a cabin, wistfully recalls the country’s energy legacy: Footage from the 1980s of craned rigs, projectile plumes of oil, and birds covered in the noxious black liquid stitch a montage.

Betrayed (Den største forbrytelsen) Samuel Golden Pictures Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Eirik Svensson Screenwriter: Lars Gudmestad, Harald Rosenlow-Eeg, based on Marte Michelet’s book The Greatest Crime: Victims and Perpetrators in the Norwegian Holocaust. Cast: Jakob Oftebro, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Pia Halvorsen, Axel Bøyum, Kent Dahlgren, Anders Danielsen […]

The post Betrayed Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

TrustNordisk has closed key deals on John Andreas Andersen’s anticipated Norwegian disaster film “The North Sea.”

Now in post-production, the ambitious movie is produced by Fantefilm Fiksjon, which previously delivered the Scandinavian blockbusters “The Quake” and “The Wave” that TrustNordisk sold around the world.

The film, the trailer for which has just been unveiled by TrustNordisk, opens on Christmas Eve in 1969 as the Norwegian government announces that the country is home to the world’s largest offshore oil platform following the discovery of the Ekofisk field. The finding marks a turning point in the history of Norway and kicks off an unprecedented financial adventure. The thriller explores the consequences of 50 years of offshore drilling by the Norwegian government.

TrustNordisk has sold the film to Canada (Mongrel Media), Japan (Inter Film), South Korea (AtNine), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Hong Kong (Sundream Motion Pictures), Poland (Hagi Film), Former Yugoslavia (Cinemania), Czech Republic and...

The industry centerpiece at Series Mania’s Forum, Monday’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions take on a special relevance this year as the number of admissions have almost doubled – up to 560, near twice the usual number, says Series Mania director Francesco Capurro. “Producers have had more time to develop with Covid-19. Projects run a wide gamut. The idea is tat there will be something for everybody attending,” Capurro explains. Ambitions – budgetary, artistic – are often high. There are multiple period thrillers, as projects wrestle with key issues – identity, peace, high-tech, big business, sacrifice, survival – crucial to these convulsive times.

“Amal,” (Eran Riklis, Israel)

Powered by one of the most established talents at the Forum, reputed film director Riklis (“Lemon Tree”). Also one of its most ambitious projects, an epic yet intimate love story between a Palestinian woman and Israeli man, spanning three decades and Columbia U, Hollywood, Ramallah and Gaza through to...

TrustNordisk has unveiled the trailer for “The North Sea,” the Norwegian disaster movie directed by John Andreas Andersen, and produced by the banner behind the Scandinavian blockbusters “The Quake” and “The Wave.”

“The North Sea” was co-written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg, who also penned “The Quake” and “The Wave,” and Lars Gudmestad, whose credits include the Norwegian thriller “Headhunters.”

The film opens on Christmas Eve in 1969 as the Norwegian government announces that the country is home to the world’s largest offshore oil platform following the discovery of the Ekofisk field. The finding marks a turning point in the history of Norway and kicks off an unprecedented financial adventure. The thriller explores the consequences of 50 years of offshore drilling by the Norwegian government.

“The North Sea” stars Kristine Kujath Thorp (“Ninjababy”), Rolf Kristian Larsen (“Cold Prey”), Anders Baasmo Christiansen (“Kon-Tiki”), Bjørn Floberg (“Out Stealing Horses”) and Anneke von der Lippe...

Eirik Svensson directed the Second World War drama, starring ’Kon-Tiki’ actor Jakob Oftebro.

TrustNordisk has sold a number of major territories on the Norwegian historical drama Betrayed, which it will screen at the upcoming EFM.

Deals have now been closed for the US (Samuel Goldwyn Films), UK and Ireland (Signature Entertainment) and Brazil (Synapse Distribution).

The film previously sold to Japan (Tohokushinsha); France (Mediawan); and Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia (Cinemania Group).

The drama is directed by Eirik Svensson, whose credits include Harajuku, One Night in Oslo and Must Have Been Love.

Jakob Oftebro (Kon-Tiki) and...

Efp 2014 Shooting Star Jakob Oftebro leads the cast.

Scandinavian sales agent TrustNordisk has set several deals for Second World War drama Betrayed, heading into this week’s American Film Market.

The film has sold to France (Mediawan), Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) and Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia (Cinemania Group).

It will be available as a private screening to buyers only during AFM.

Betrayed tells the story of Norwegian Jews in the Second World War, whose initial protection is dismantled by German troops, leading to hundreds of them being transported to Auschwitz.

European Film Promotion 2014 Shooting Star...

Follows deal for disaster film The North Sea.

TrustNordisk has boarded international sales for Norwegian World War II-era drama Betrayed.

It marks the second deal this week TrustNordisk has struck with Norwegian producers Fantefilm after collaborating on forthcoming disaster film The North Sea.

Eirik Svensson will direct and Fantefilm’s Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen and Therese Bøhn will produce. Fantefilm has hit credits including The Quake and The Wave.

Betrayed is adapted by Harald Rosenløw Eeg (The King’s Choice) and Lars Gudmestad (Headhunters) from Marte Michelet’s book The Ultimate Crime. The story, inspired by true events, is about...

Projects from the team behind box office hits The Quake and The Wave.

TrustNordisk has boarded international sales for The North Sea, the new disaster film from the team behind The Quake and The Wave (both previously sold by TrustNordisk)

The film will be set offshore on the rigs tapping into the oil and gas fields underneath the North Sea.

The North Sea, budgeted at $6.7m, will be directed by John Andreas Andersen (The Quake) and produced by Oslo-based Fantefilm’s team of Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen and Therese Bøhn.

Screenwriters are Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad.

The Norwegian-language...

Long-time collaborators Quentin Tarantino and cinematographer Robert Richardson will receive the joint Cinematographer-Director Duo Award at the closing night of Polish festival Camerimage. The pair have collaborated on five features including Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and have won five Oscars between them. Camerimage, a film fest dedicated to the art of cinematography, runs Nov 9-16 this year in its new home of Toruń, Poland.

StarzPlay, the streaming service run by Lionsgate-owned network Starz, has picked up Mindy Kaling’s 10-part miniseries adaptation of rom-com Four Weddings And A Funeral, and will premiere the show exclusively in the UK on December 12. Natalie Emmanuel, Nikesh Patel and John Reynolds lead the cast of the series, which follows a young communications director for a New York senatorial campaign who receives a wedding invitation from her college schoolmate now living in London and leaves her professional and personal life behind. It...

2012 wasn’t a bad year for movies. It was actually a great year. The problem is, the movies we were most anticipating, specifically the Hollywood blockbusters like Prometheus and The Hobbit, didn’t live up to our expectations. With that said I still managed to make a list of 50 films I loved. Maybe I just have bad taste or maybe I just love movies but the most time consuming factor when making this list was sitting down and deciding what makes the cut and what doesn’t. Even with 50 films listed below, I found it hard to not include movies like Frankenweenie, The Loneliest Planet, Footnote, Compliance, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, and Searching For Sugar Man. Come to think of it, every film featured on our list of best documentaries could have easily snuck into this list. I haven’t seen everything of course. Below is...

Every year, the Efa People’s Choice Award allows film fans across Europe to elect their favorite film. When the European Film Academy invites its members, Europe’s greatest film stars, directors, actors and actresses, to attend the European Film Awards, the People’s Choice Award sheds a spotlight on the people films are made for: the audience. This year’s vote has started – vote now and win the chance to join winners and nominees for the awards ceremony in Malta!

Winners in the past have included films like Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver, Roberto Benigni’s La Vita E Bella, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AmÉLie, Fatih Akin’s Head-on, and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.

From 1 September on, film fans can cast their vote on the official website: www.europeanfilmawards.euand win a trip to the 25th European Film Awards on Saturday, 1 December 2012, in Malta!

Nominated Are: The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius with Jean Dujardin,

Barbara directed by Christian Petzold with Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Rainer Bock, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Christina Hecke

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden, written by Ol Parker with Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith

Caesar Must Die (Cesare deve morire) directed by Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, written by Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, in collaboration with Fabio Cavalli with Giovanni Arcuri, Salvatore Striano, Cosimo Rega, Antonio Frasca, Fabio Cavalli

Come As You Are (Hasta la Vista) directed by da Geoffrey Enthoven, written by Pierre de Clercq, with Robrecht van den Thoren, Gilles de Schryver, Tom Audenaert, Isabelle de Hertogh

Headhunters (Hodejegerne) directed by Morten Tyldum, written by Lars Gudmestad & Ulf Ryberg with Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coter-Waldau, Synnøve Macody Lund, Eivind Sander I

N Darkness directed by Agnieszka Holland, written by David F. Shamoon with Robert Więckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, Agnieszka Grochowska, Maria Schrader, Herbert Knaup

The Iron Lady directed by Phyllida Lloy, written by Abi Morgan with Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen directed by Lasse Hallstrom, written by Simon Beaufoy, based on the novel by Paul Torday with Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas, Amr Waked

Shame directed by Steve McQueen, written by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan with Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy directed by Thomas Alfredson, written by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan with Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Simon McBurney, Kathy Burke, Svetlana Khodenchkova

Untouchable directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano with François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clothilde Mollet

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The European Film Awards 2012 are presented by the European Film Academy e.V. and Efa Productions gGmbH with the support of the Maltese Ministry of Finance, Economy and Investment, the Malta Film Commission, Ffa German Federal Film Board, the German State Lottery Berlin, the German State Minister for Culture and the Media, the Media Programme of the EU, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Gls. Pascal Edelmann European Film Academy e.V. Head of Press & PR Kurfürstendamm 225 10719 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 30 887 16 70 Fax +49 30 887 16 777 visit us at www.europeanfilmawards.eu European Film Academy e.V. / Director: Marion Döring / registered at Amtsgericht Charlottenburg 14236 Nz...

2012 promises to be a fantastic year in cinema. Not too long ago, we posted a list of thirty of our most anticipated films of 2012, and so I decided I would keep track of my favourite films released each month. Here are my three favorite films released in May.

1- Laurence Anyways

Directed by Xavier Dolan

Screenplay by Xavier Dolan

Xavier Dolan reveals a romantic, albeit tragic side, in Laurence Anyways, a highly unconventional romance that shows the young filmmaker has matured since his sophomore effort, Les Amours Imaginaire. Putting aside the last hour of the pic, a gargantuan mess that stretches what seems like a lifetime – the first 90 minutes is by far his best work yet, proving that confidence and ambition are not something Dolan lacks.

Dolan’s imagery and dialogue is strong, with a soundtrack of handpicked 80′s and 90′s hits that service many of the film’s best...

Headhunters

Directed by Morten Tyldum

Written by Lars Gudmestad, Jo Nesbø, and Ulf Ryberg

Norway, 2011

While American politicians abjectly deride the Scandinavians for being ‘pinko commies’, Hollywood has been taking notice of their considerable cinematic talent, finding every opportunity to import some of their best films for American remakes. David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Matt Reeves’ Let Me In are excellent examples, but no Scandinavian film will appeal to North American sensibilities more than Norway’s Headhunters.

The film stars Aksel Hennie as the titular headhunter, an enigma of a man who recruits corporate talent by day and steals valuable art pieces by night. When his wife (Synnøve Macody Lund), herself an art dealer, introduces him to an ex-intelligence mercenary turned electronics tycoon (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) at an art exhibit, his interest is piqued when he learns of the man’s possession of an invaluable painting.

Title: Headhunters Magnolia Pictures Director: Morten Tyldum Screenwriter: Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg, from Jo Nesbø’s 2008 novel Cast: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Julie R. Olgaard Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 4/18/12 Opens: April 27, 2012 Bearing a resemblance to Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy” at least so far as language family is concerned, “Headhunters” is the best Norwegian thriller to come to our shores in years and among the most exciting psychological dramas an American audience will be treated to in quite a while. The acting is outrageously good, the plot twists come to us at a furious pace, the music on the soundtrack is spot-on and perhaps [ Read More ]...

Jo Nesbø's novel has been expertly transformed into a cool, brutal, deeply Scandinavian thriller

The cinema, as Karl Marx might have said, repeats itself, first as a Scandinavian thriller, then as a Hollywood remake. An American company acquired the rights to remake Morten Tyldum's Headhunters while it was still in production. They'll have trouble in making a movie half as good or half as authentic.

Although inevitably indebted to American models, Headhunters is firmly rooted in the Scandinavian experience, and it moves with the speed of a demented lemming heading for the cliff-edge of a fjord. The film is adapted from a novel by Jo Nesbø, the Norwegian crime writer who is now up there beside the Swedes Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson, and the screenplay is the work of Lars Gudmestad and Ulf Ryberg, old hands at this kind of thing, the latter having adapted novels by both Mankell and Larsson.

Headhunters

Stars: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Eivind Sander, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau | Written by Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg | Directed by Morten Tyldum

My only prior knowledge of Jo Nesbø was that posters for his books seemed to crop up on the underground with alarming rapidity a couple of years ago when The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series’ popularity peaked. Clearly, I thought with cynicism, some wily publisher is cashing in on the current interest in Scandinavian literature. Of course, that meant it was only a matter of time before Nesbø’s work started appearing on screen too. I hadn’t learnt any more about Nesbø between noticing those posters and prior to the screening of Headhunters (until writing this review, I had assumed Nesbø was a woman), other than that there is, apparently Nesbø-themed pornography urbanely entitled ‘Jo Lesbo’.

So I had little to no expectations going into Headhunters. The...

Looking for a fast-paced, funny, exciting thriller? You could do a lot worse than Headhunters, a sterling adaptation of a novel by Jo Nesbø…

Think back to some of the most interesting protagonists in movie history. Are they necessarily the broad-chested, square-jawed ones gifted by the god of genetics? Mostly, they’re not. Generally, it’s the more morally ambiguous heroes that stick more readily in the mind.

So alongside memorable characters such as Tony Montana, Martin Riggs and, er, Han Solo, we can now add Roger, the central character of Norwegian thriller, Headhunters. Diminutive in stature and terrified that his leggy, attractive beau Diana will leave him for a superior male, Roger leads a double life: ostensibly earning a decent wage working as a corporate headhunter for a recruitment firm, he earns extra pocket money (and most importantly, the sort of money that keeps his other half in the...

We have the U.S. Trailer for Joe Nesbo's Headhunters, thanks to our friends at /Film. The film was directed by Norwegian director Morten Tyldum (Fallen Angels, Buddy). It stars Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Lars Gudmestad and Ulf Ryberg penned the screenplay.

Here is the synopsis:

Headhunters stars the talented Aksel Hennie (Max Manus) as Roger, a charming scoundrel and Norway’s most accomplished headhunter. Roger is living a life of luxury well beyond his means, and stealing art to subsidize his expensive lifestyle. When his beautiful gallery owner wife introduces him to a former mercenary in the possession of an extremely valuable painting, he decides to risk it all to get his hands on it, and in doing so discovers something which makes him a hunted man.

Headhunters arrives in theaters on April 27. Watch the trailer in HD at IMDb and below.

I am very...

Here is the first trailer for Headhunters, directed by Norwegian director Morten Tyldum (Fallen Angels, Buddy). It stars Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Lars Gudmestad and Ulf Ryberg penned the screenplay, based on the best-selling novel by Jo Nesbo.

Here is the synopsis:

Headhunters follows charismatic Roger Brown, a successful corporate headhunter by day and prolific art thief by night, is lured into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when he goes after the biggest heist of his life.

Headhunters arrives in theaters on April 6. The film is produced by the same team that brought us Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. Watch the trailer, and share your thoughts.

 

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Source: YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9aclk3CDl5g)...

Headhunters (Hodejegerne)

Directed by Morten Tyldum

Written by Lars Gudmestad, Jo Nesbø, and Ulf Ryberg

Norway, 2011

Adapted from a novel by the acclaimed Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø, Headhunters is an original thriller filled with surprises. Initially disguised as a heist film, the story quickly transforms into a brutal test of wills that pushes the lead beyond his breaking point. Director Morten Tyldum (Fallen Angels) introduces a fairly despicable lead character but makes him identifiable because his actions are understandable. Once the chaos begins, his will to live is stronger than anyone expects and makes even the most talented killer underestimate his resolve.

Aksel Hennie (Max Manus) stars as Roger Brown, a diminutive headhunter for large corporations who has built a reputable business. He’s earned decent money but can’t keep up with the financial expectations of his gorgeous wife Diana (SynnøveMacody Lund). To supplement his income, he learns about...

Liv Mjönes, Ruth Vega Fernandez, With Every Heartbeat Breakthrough Selections Expecting: In Chile, a young girl and her boyfriend wait for a black-market drug to take effect in this tense and insightful examination of teen pregnancy. Dir/Scr Francisca Fuenzalida. Chile. U.S. Premiere. Light Of Mine: Rapidly going blind, photographer Owen and his wife Laura take a life-changing trip to Yellowstone National Park where they experience a beauty that rivals their tragedy. Dir Brett Eichenberger. Scr Jill Remensnyder. USA. Three And A Half: Three women risk everything and travel to the northwest Iranian border in hopes of escaping prison and reuniting with their comrades. Dir/Scr Naghi Nemati. Cast Samaneh Vafaiezadeh, Shooka Karimi, Negar Hassanzadeh, Mehdi Poormoosa. Iran. U.S. Premiere. With Every Heartbeat: In this Swedish romantic drama, uptight Mia attends her father’s engagement party and not only gains a stepmother, but also a new lover,...

Filmmakers have continued to push boundaries and find new innovative ways to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers. Since Alfred Hitchcock directors strived to provoke viewer’s nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Although a good deal of it is about the supernatural, others have focused more on a plot about morbidity, serial killers, a disease/virus outbreak, surrealism and more. This year we see vampires, outbreaks, poltergeists, aliens, zombies, and psychological horror/character studies featured on our list.

What is considered to be a horror film has varied from decade to decade. These days, the term “horror” is applied to films which display more explicit gore, jump scenes/scares or supernatural content whereas early horror movies were largely based on classic literature of the gothic/horror genre, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Headhunters

Directed by Morten Tyldum

Screenplay by Lars Gudmestad by Ulf Ryberg

2011, Norway

Summit Entertainment recently picked up the production rights to Jo Nesbo’s novel “Headhunters”. Clearly, somebody just saw Morten Tyldum’s awesome film adaptation.

Headhunters begins dubiously. The opening voice-over and montage suggest a smarmy, stylishly self-satisfied heist film, but this reveals itself (as so much in this film does) to be slight misdirection. There is much more depth here than initially indicated, with the opening not so much introducing the film at large, as introducing Roger Brown: Corporate Headhunter and art burgling hobbyist.

Roger (Aksel Hennie) is a man with an understanding of image–that is, arrogant posturing–and he works furiously to assure his own well-constructed, and also expensive, persona. So he interviews prospective CEOs, thrilling them with his self-possession and theories on “reputation”, all the while probing them for information about important pieces...

Director: Morten Tyldum Writers: Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg, Jo Nesbø (novel) Starring: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Julie Ølgaard, Eivind Sander, Kyrre Haugen Sydness, Torgrim Mellum Stene Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a corporate headhunter who is currently looking for a new CEO of a Norwegian Gps technology conglomerate, Pathfinder. During his interviews Roger likes to compare personal art collections -- specifically if the candidate has any expensive artwork hanging in their home -- and whether or not the candidate owns any dogs. We soon discover why Roger cares about such details... To supplement his salary, Roger is an art thief. But even the two revenue streams are not significant enough for Roger to afford the mortgage on his lavish modernist home, especially since he feels the need to excessively shower his gorgeous and intelligent wife, Diane (Synnøve Macody Lund), with gifts. Roger's spending habits are to compensate...

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Eye Of The Storm Trailer I like this kind of story, I do. It's familiar territory, to be sure, but if there's someone who I...

The heroes of great crime stories generally come equipped with extreme inferiority complexes. If there's a list ranking those wily characters, then Roger Brown, the daring art thief anti-hero of Morten Tyldum's widely enjoyable Norwegian action-comedy "Headhunters," belongs somewhere in the pantheon. Adapted from Jo Nesbo's novel by screenwriters Lars Gudmestad and Ulf Ryberg from the novel, "Headhunters" announces itself as a routine heist movie by letting Roger's perspective dominate. ...

Director: Mikkel Braenne Sandemose.

Writers: Lars Gudmestad and Peder Fuglerud.

The Cold Prey series is set in the slasher genre and each of these films has been produced in the cold climes of Norway. The first film was completed in 2006 and the second in 2008. Each film follows the murder spree of a mute Geir Olav Brath to an eventual bloody conclusion. A different director has highlighted each film, with Mats Stenberg showing the best of the series with Cold Prey 2. Unfortunately, this latest film, a prequel, is not up to the task of thrilling audiences. Full of been-here-done-that, Cold Prey 3 offers very little back story on killer Brath and instead, the film serves up repetitive trope after trope.

The plot begins with a young boy tortured, by an isolated couple in a remote mountain resort. The opportunity to delve into Brath's psyche is overlooked in favour of bringing still more...