The 25th Nordic Talents Pitch Prize to the Faroese director Maria Tórgarð

Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s CEO Liselott Forsman, together with the jury, just handed out the two Nordic Talents prizes at the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen, after an inspiring day with pitches by upcoming filmmakers, a networking lunch and an industry afternoon.

The Nordic Talents jury members were: Sara Stockmann (DK), Elina Pohjola(FI), Finn Gjerdrum (NO) and Pelle Rådström (SE). Julien Temple (UK) was excused due to a force majeure. On stage Gjerdrum said on behalf on the jury that they have been very lucky to listen to and to watch ten exiting, inspiringly different, high-quality project pitches.

The documentary project Knots pitched by the Faroese director Maria Tórgarð from Stockholm University of Arts, was awarded the NOK 250,000 Pitch Prize, with the following motivation:

“The main prize goes to a filmmaker who combines a convincing, cinematic and essayistic style with an urge to change the world. Her documentary is bridging the highly personal with the deeply political. She is not shying away from complex questions, she is not hiding behind anything, and she is – fortunately - unstoppable. The Nordic Talents Pitch Prize goes to Maria Tórgarð for Knots.

Also from the Stockholm University of Arts, the film project Snowfall in April pitched by director Sepehr Nosrati won the NOK 50,000 Special Mention, with the following motivation:

“The jury was already impressed by the intensity of the storytelling in the graduation film. This filmmaker manages to explore vital topics in a way that simultaneously has a possibility to engage broad audiences. This combination of genre and thematic substance is truly something that we need more of in the Nordic region. The Nordic Talents Special Mentioning goes to Sepher Nosrati for the film Snowfall in April.”

Both prizes are funded by NFTVF.

The other pre-selected projects/pitchers:

• The Needs of Others pitched by director Helmi Donner (Fiction, Finland)
• Are You God, Grandpa pitched by director Signý Rós Ólafsdóttir (Fiction/Hybrid, Iceland)
• Beautiful Misfits pitched by director André Vaara (Fiction, Sweden)
• WORN BY WILD pitched by director Nor Bülow Jørgensen (Fiction/Hybrid, Denmark)
• Our Last Summer pitched by director David G. Raabjerg Wedel (Fiction/Animation, Denmark)
• Summer of the Moth pitched by director Veera Lamminpää (Fiction/Hybrid, Finland)
• Digital Soul pitched by director Keiria Shishay (Doc, Denmark)
• San Luca pitched by director Rosa Lie and producer Mikkel Smidt (Doc/Hybrid, Denmark)

The winner will be interviewed in NFTVF’s newsletter next week.

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