Alfa series, Long Live Love doc triumph at Danish TV Awards

The TV dramaAlfa (Grow in English) beat off stiff competition from Netflix’s Ragnarok, Rain 3, Viaplay’s Hand in Hand, TV2’s Badehotellet 7 and Rita 5.

The suspenseful thriller had picked up in November Aarhus Series’ prize for Best Nordic TV Drama. The first drama series from talented writer/director Milad Avaz (Collision) was produced by Rocket Road Pictures and SF Studios Production for TV2. ZDF Enterprises handles world sales.

The eight-part series focuses on Adam, a young stockbroker, dissatisfied with his ordinary life. Captivated by the murky underworld of drug dealing, he sets up a cartel with the ambition to become Denmark’s top drug lord. His two worlds collide as he faces his brother Jakob, a policeman on the anti-drugs unit, who is also trying to come to terms with who he really is. In the title roles are real acting brothers Sebastian Jessen and Andreas Jessen as well as Lars Mikkelsen. Alfa premiered on TV2 Play and Tv2 Zulu last August.

The jury said: “The winner is a work well told, well played and entertaining. The series also manages to create a universe and characters you care about."

In other categories, Limboland produced by Drive Studios for Xee won Best Short Fiction series. The series from show-runner Rikke Louise Schjødt centres on three Danish women in their mid-20s, Freja (Frederikke Dahl Hansen), Katrine (Emma Sehested Høeg), and Nadja (Angela Bundalovic) who develop a strong friendship while struggling to find themselves.

The jury says: ′′ The winner is a strong generational portrait - without being judgmental. The acting is great, you get close to all the individual character’s stories, and are entertained all the way through. The series is well cast and has high value. “

Made in Copenhagen’s documentary Long Live Love (Lever elsker savner) which world premiered at CPH:DOX last year added a TVPrisen statuette to its Astra Film Festival top prize earned last October. The gripping film explores a young woman’s hunger for life after having endured cancer treatment, and her strong relationship with her mother. DR Sales handles world sales. ′′The winner documentary is visually beautiful and poetically narrated by a talented director,” said the jury.

The documentary series Tilståelsen produced by Koncern TV & Filmproduktion for TV2 Denmark won Best Crime.

Denmark’s acclaimed screenwriter Stig Thorsboe (Badehotellet, Better Times, Taxa) was handed out the Otto honorary award.

A total of 25 prizes were handed out last night by co-hosts Cecilie Beck and Jacob Riising at Denmark’s annual TV awards ceremony, organised by the Danish Producers Association.

For the full list of awards, check: www.tvprisen.dk