Press
release10.01.2004US film-industry professionals
and moviegoers will have ample opportunity to see the cream of new Danish
cinema over the coming months. Five American film festivals are showcasing
Danish films in their programmes.
Sundance Film
Festival (15-31 January), the single most important American
festival, has scheduled special screenings of Lars von Trier's "Dogville"
as well as Jørgen Leth and Lars von Trier's "The Five Obstructions",
produced by Zentropa and Zentropa Real, respectively. Furthermore, "The
Pact", Heidi Maria Faisst's graduation project at the National Film School
of Denmark, is prominently featured in the Sundance shorts
programme.
Palm Springs
International Film Festival (8-19 January) is screening Søren
Kragh-Jacobsen and Nimbus' "Skagerrak", Lone Scherfig and Zentropa's
"Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself", and Christoffer Boe and Nordisk's
"Reconstruction".
Scandinavian
Film Festival, Los Angeles (16-18 January) is screening
"Reconstruction" and Anders Thomas Jensen and M & M's "The Green
Butchers". The following week "Skagerrak", "Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself",
and Jannik Johansen and Fine & Mellow's "Stealing Rembrandt" will be
shown at the Sarasota Film Festival (23 January - 1
February).
"Skagerrak", "Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself" and "The Green Butchers" are competing in the
Santa Barbara International Film Festival (30 January - 8
February). What's more, "Dogville" is billed as the 'centerpiece' of the
festival programme.
Danish
sales companies, American distributors and the Danish Film Institute (DFI) have
made a targeted effort to get these eight Danish films into
the American festivals. Lizette Gram, festival manager at the DFI, reports that
American interest in Danish films is on the rise. 'We are continually
working to present Danish films at a variety of festivals beyond the main
ones in Berlin, Cannes and Venice. There is enormous competition for
programme slots at the biggest festivals, and we expect only a few
of our films to be placed here. On the other hand, there are a number of
smaller festivals that are excellent showcases for other quality Danish
movies. The Sundance Festival is one, and it will be exciting to see
how the audience will react to "Dogville", for example.'
Palm Springs
International Film Festival www.psfilmfest.orgSundance
Film Festival www.sundance.orgScandinavian
Film Festival, Los Angeles: www.asfla.org/film.htmlSarasota
Film Festival www.sarasotafilmfest.comSanta
Barbara International Film Festival www.sbfilmfestival.org
For further information:
Danish Film InstituteLizette Gram, 3374 3506, lizetteg@dfi.dkAnne Marie Kürstein,
3374 3609, kurstein@dfi.dk Vicki
Synnott, 3374 3438, vickis@dfi.dk