Over the years, only few of the family films from the little region of the Nordic countries have been able to reach the huge population of China. The Chinese do know the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and Astrid Lindgren's stories about Pippi, but less about children's culture of today in the Nordic countries. With this selection of family films from recent years, however, a large Chinese audience will have the chance to get acquainted with a newer tradition and enjoy entertaining and touching stories from some of the finest Nordic filmmakers within the genre of family films.
The showcase will open on Monday June 14 with the screening of the Finnish animation film Niko & The Way to the Stars by Michael Hegner and Kari Juusonen. The Danish films of the selection are Storm by Giacomo Campeotto, The Substitute by Ole Bornedal and We Shall Overcome by Niels Arden Oplev. Iceland is represented by No Network by Ari Kristinsson. From Norway, the selection includes Finding Friends by Arne Lindtner Næss, ORPS – The Movie by Atle Knudsen, Through a Glass, Darkly by Jesper W. Nielsen, Trigger by Gunnar Vikene and Twigson by Åsleik Engmark. Sweden is represented by the two feature films, Glowing Stars by Lisa Siwe and Starring Maja by Teresa Fabik, as well as the short film Panic Painter by Johan Hagelbäck.
The showcase is organized by Scandinavian Films in cooperation with the Shanghai International Film Festival, and supported by Nordic Council of Ministers and Consulates of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in China. Scandinavian Films is an umbrella organization of the Danish Film Institute, the Finnish Film Foundation, the Icelandic Film Centre, the Norwegian Film Institute and the Swedish Film Institute.
Other Nordic films screened in different sections of Shanghai International Film Festival include Heartbeats by Saara Cantell (Finland) and Therapy by Kenneth Kainz (Denmark) in the Panorama section, as well as The House of Branching Love by Mika Kaurismäki (Finland) in Spectrum.
The Co-FPC (Co-production Film Pitch and Catch) forum, taking place 14-16 June in co-operation with the Shanghai International Film Festival, has accepted this year three Nordic projects to the overall selection of 32 projects considered suitable for co-production and having market potential. The Nordic projects participating are Betty Bangkok by Lovisa Inserra and Emma K Dixgård (Sweden), Red Flag by Robert Douglas and Clarence Hui (Iceland) and Tirlittan by Making Movies (Finland).
Scandinavian Films will have a stand at the SIFF film market (14–16 June). The Nordic sales company TrustNordisk will also be present at the market.
Present in Shanghai:
Director Michael Hegner (Niko & The Way to the Stars)
Director Kari Juusonen (Niko & The Way to the Stars)
Director Ari Kristinsson (No Network)
Director Atle Knudsen (ORPS – The Movie)
Director Teresa Fabik (Starring Maja)
Director Niels Arden Oplev (We Shall Overcome)
Producer Emma K Dixgård (Betty Bangkok)
Director Lovisa Inserra (Betty Bangkok)
Producer Clarence Hui (Red Flag)
Director Robert Douglas (Red Flag)
Producer Kaarle Aho (Tirlittan)
Producer Kai Nordberg (Tirlittan)
Producer Nina Crone (Denmark, Freddy Frogface, in production in China)
Anne Marie Kürstein, Danish Film Institute
Jaana Puskala, The Finnish Film Foundation
Jenni Domingo, The Finnish Film Foundation
Andrea Reuter, Swedish Film Institute
Nicolai Korsgaard, TrustNordisk
Further information:
Shanghai International Film Festival / www.siff.com
Danish Film Institute / kurstein@dfi.dk / www.dfi.dk
The Finnish Film Foundation / satu.elo@ses.fi / www.ses.fi
Icelandic Film Centre / christof@icelandicfilmcentre.is / www.icelandicfilmcentre.is
Norwegian Film Institute / stine.oppegaard@nfi.no / www.nfi.no
Swedish Film Institute / petter.mattsson@sfi.se / www.sfi.se