Thomas Vinterberg makes history with Oscar nominations

First Dane to compete in the Directing category, Vinterberg is also running for Best International Feature with Another Round.

The 93rd Academy Awards nomination were announced yesterday and Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic works were listed among the contenders for the coveted Hollywood statuettes.

Vinterberg’s multi-awarded drama Another Round produced by Zentropa is the second Danish film vying for two Oscars after Bille August’s epic Pelle the Conqueror, which competed in 1987 for Best Actor (Max von Sydow) and won Best Foreign Language Film.

It is also Zentropa long-time producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen’s fifth Danish film running for Best International Feature Film after Vinterberg’s The Hunt, Susanne Bier’s After the Wedding (2007), In a Better World (2011 winner) and Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair (2013).

Vinterberg said: “I’ve made some films over the years, but none of them have meant so much to me as this one. During a long journey like this, it matters most to be surrounded by great collaborators who are also great friends. My actors, Mads [Mikkelsen], my co-writer Tobias [Lindholm], Sturla [Brandth Grøvlen] my DOP, my producers from Zentropa and the amazing behind the scenes talent were all on this journey with me and gave all they had. Thank you from Denmark!"

Another Round has accumulated accolades since its first Cannes Label selection; most recently the film was nominated for a Golden Globe-Best Foreign Language Film, for four BAFTA Awards and it won Best Foreign Film at last weekend’s French Césars awards.

The film topped the film charts in Denmark 2020 with more than 800,000 admissions and it was sold worldwide by TrustNordisk. Samuel Goldwyn handled the US theatrical release on December 4 and VOD release December 18.

Other Danish talents nominated include:

• New-York-based writer/director Elvira Lind for her US Short Film Live Action The Letter Room starring her partner Oscar Isaac. The film is edited by Adam Nielsen, with Sara Stockman serving as associate producer.
• Mikkel E. G. Nielsen for Best Editing with the film Sound of Metal.
  

Meanwhile Iceland was twice nominated for Best Animated Short with Gísli Darri Halldórsson’s Yes-People produced by CAOZ’s Arnar Gunnarsson and Halldórsson and for Best Original Song with ‘Húsavík’ from the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The song features with music and lyrics by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson, features contributions from Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson and orchestra Sinfonia Nord.

Norway received one nomination for Best Documentary Short with the film Do Not Split by Norwegian investigative journalist/filmmaker Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook, centering on the Hong Kong protests. The US/Norwegian co-production was backed by Fritt Ord and Viken Filmsenter.

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, will be held April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles. Only the nominees, their guests and Oscars presenters will be allowed to attend in person.