Nicknamed the ‘Nordic Cannes' because of its exceptional geographic position, Haugesund will screen three top winners from this year's Cannes Film Festival -including the Palme d'or winner The White Ribbon. "This doesn't happen every year....it's a real coup," acknowledged festival programmer Håkon Skogrand.
Within this year's strong European line-up, Nordic films will naturally feature predominantly across all sections of the festival. Sara Johnsen's Upperdog (photo) will screen on August 23 as a world premiere, during the open gala attended by Norway's Culture Minister Trond Giske. The following day, Ásleik Engmark's children's film Knerten will open the Children's programme and Arild Østin Ommundsen's finance thriller Rotternetter will be the closing film on August 27. Other Nordic films screening in the main programme include Sweden's Man tänker sitt (Burrowing), and Denmark's Frygtelig lykkelig (Terribly Happy). The award-winning Danish documentary Burma VJ-Reporting from a Closed Country will be unveiled as a Special Screening, alongside Norway's Ulykken (The Accident) by Norway's Marcelino Martin Valiente. The Critics' Week will screen Denmark's Fear Me Not and the 15+ section the Swedish comedy Kenny Begins.
Haugesund is also a celebration of Norwegian films from the past year, with the national Amanda Awards that will be given out on August 21. Future Nordic films will be showcased at New Nordic Films between August 20-23 (see other news story).
For more information, see: http://www.filmfestivalen.no/