30 August
2005
Statistics Denmark's half-year report shows a marked increase in
tickets sold to indigenous films: 1.9 million tickets were sold to Danish
films alone in the first six months of 2005, the highest figure for the
period in over 20 years.
Tickets sold to 'all films' in Denmark in the same period show a
decline of 5%. Declining sales in cinemas worldwide have been reported in
Screen International: only Britain saw a smaller decline, of just 1%,
while sales dropped 10% in North America, 11% in Germany, 15% in France,
19% in Italy, 14% in Australia and a full 25% in the big South American
markets. This global trend of declining cinema-going is blamed on the lack
of a "Lord of the Rings" early in the year and the failure of many of this
year's expected blockbusters.
In Denmark, however, a wide selection of Danish films has kept packing
cinemas, with Danish films making up 33% of total ticket sales. Seventeen
Danish features premiered in the first six months of 2005, the highest
total for any first half year ever. The last time cinemas came close to
such results was in the first half of 2003 when 14 Danish features were
released, selling 1.8 million tickets combined. Last year, just seven
Danish features opened in the first half year, selling 0.9 million
tickets.
Top 10 first half year 2005All of four Danish
films are among the first eight films on the Top 10 chart for admissions
for the first half year 2005. The US production "Star Wars: Episode III"
tops the chart, and is followed by two Danish films: Tomas Villum Jensen's
"The Sun King" and Anders Thomas Jensen's "Adam's Apples". The successful
German drama "Der Untergang", in fourth place, is followed by another
national film, Carsten Myllerup's "Oskar & Josefine".
Ole Christian Madsen's "Angels in Fast Motion", the fourth Danish film
on the chart, comes in at eighth place, after the two US productions, "The
Phantom of the Opera" and "Pooh's Heffalump Movie".
Second half of 2005Five films were released in
July and August. Most recently Per Fly's drama "Manslaughter" opened to
critical raves. The rest of the year will see eight new releases in widely
different genres. Opening in September are Nicolas Winding Refn's action
drama "I'm the Angel of Death - Pusher III," Anders Rønnow Klarlund's
fantasy film "Strings" and Christoffer Boe's artistically challenging
drama "Allegro." In October will follow Jannik Johansen's thriller "Murk,"
Claus Bjerre's family film "Father of Four" and Jonas Elmer's comedy
"Nynne" (English titles of the last two mentioned films are working titles
only). November will see the opening of Gert Fredholm's drama "Dommeren"
(English working title: "The Judge") and Simon Staho's drama with a
Swedish cast, "Bang, Bang Orangutang."
Considering the wide and varied array of Danish films coming up in the
second half of 2005, total ticket sales for Danish films for the year are
likely to equal or better the results for the record year 2001, when 3.7
million tickets were sold.
For further information:
Current cinema data for Danish filmswww.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/generelle_moduler/fb/index.asp?pid=13800
Upcoming feature-film releaseswww.dfi.dk/sitemod/moduler/generelle_moduler/fb/index.asp?pid=220
Danish Film InstituteMaja Giese, +45 3374 3439,
+45 4050 4750, majag@dfi.dk
Danish figures for 2005 are based on preliminary statements from
Statistics Denmark. The final figures tend to come out slightly higher.
TOP 10 - DANISH CINEMAS: FIRST HALF YEAR 2005
1 STAR WARS: EPISODE III,USA, admissions
3712542 SOLKONGEN,Danmark, admissions
3465753 ADAMS ÆBLER, Danmark, admissions
3375594 DER UNTERGANG, Germany, admissions
3189795 OSKAR & JOSEFINE, Danmark, admissions
2472316 THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, USA, admissions
2079367 POOHS HEFFALUMP MOVIE, USA, admissions
2037668 NORDKRAFT, Danmark, admissions
1936389 ROBOTTER, USA, admissions 14599410 MEET
THE FOCKERS, USA, admissions 133934