As the Berlinale reveals the last round of titles in their children and youth programme Generation, two Danish films are added to the line-up of films vying for a Crystal Bear.
Anders Morgenthaler and Mikael Wulff's 'Monty and the Street Party' will celebrate its international premiere in the children's film competition Generation Kplus, while Tone Ottilie's short fiction 'Babydyke' is set to world premiere in the youth film competition Generation 14plus.
Danish projects already announced for Berlin are Jeanette Nordahl's debut feature 'Wildland', Amalie Næsby Fick's web series 'Sex' and Victoria Carmen Sonne as Shooting Star.
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'Monty and the Street Party' is the story of Monty, the happiest kid in the world. He lives with his parents in an idyllic residential area populated with loads of crooked types. Monty's happiness ends abruptly when he discovers that his mother has fallen in love with the irresistible crossfit trainer Pierre and is leaving Monty and his father. Monty decides to do everything he can to bring his parents back together at the forthcoming annual street party.
Released on 26 September, the film landed on the local top 3 of titles opening over the highly competitive autumn break in October. Admissions are, to date, at 174,000.
The film is based on Mikael Wulff and Anders Morgenthaler's book of the same name. Creators and comedic duo Wulff and Morgenthaler are, under the pseudonym of WuMo, behind a satirical comic strip published daily in more than 300 newspapers all over the world, including the Washington Post, New York Daily News and Die Welt.
Anders Morgenthaler’s first feature animation, 'Princess', opened Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Festival in 2006. Mikael Wulff’s credits include writing for Sundance-selected 'Allegro' by Christopher Boe as well as directing and writing three seasons of the youth series 'Perfect Places'.
The film is produced by Julie Lind-Holm Hansen and Jonas Bagger for New Creations and Zentropa with support from, among others, the Danish Film Institute, DR, Eurimages, Screen Brussels and the West Danish Film Fund in co-production with Caviar, Zentropa Belgium, Film i Väst and the Belgium Tax Shelter. TrustNordisk handles international sales.
Tone Ottilie's 'Babydyke' is making its world premiere in Generation 14plus. Photo: Ash Production
Short film about finding your identity
With her 19-minute short film 'Babydyke', Tone Ottilie tells a story about finding your identity as a teenager in the Copenhagen queer community.
Frede goes with her big sister to a queer techno party to win back her ex. When this goes wrong she tries to follow her sister’s less romantic advice on how to get over your ex and not be a "babydyke".
Frede is played by Anna Charlie Zerbib Streitz, making her debut as an actor. Her big sister is played by Levi Eja Roepstorff, who starred in Annika Berg's Venice winner 'Team Hurricane'.
Tone Ottilie wrote the film with Ida Åkerstrøm Knudsen, and the production is managed by Mille Astrup for Ash Production with support from the Film Workshop in Copenhagen.
Tone Ottilie is a directing student at the National Film School of Denmark, to graduate in 2021. She and Mille Astrup previously collaborated on 'Lulu IRL' (2016), which was nominated for a Danish Robert Award for best short film and won three awards at the Ekko Shortlist Awards, for best movie, best female actor and best cinematography.
The Berlin Film Festival runs from 20 February to 1 March. See more at berlinale.de.
