Finland's much anticipated The Visitor (photo) by Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää has found a slot at Venice Days (August 28-September 6), the sidebar of the Venice Film Festival, similar to the Cannes Directors' Fortnight. The feature debut which has been developed as part of Cannes Cinéfondation, is a European co-production between Finland (Helsinki Filmi), the UK (BlueLight), Propeller Film (Germany) and Exit Film (Estonia), supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Wild Bunch handles world sales.
Another Finnish feature debut, Thomas by Miika Soini is making its world premiere at the prestigious Zabaltegi section in San Sebastian (September 18-27). The drama is about an elderly man, Thomas (played by legendary Finnish actor Lasse Pöysti) who lives a quiet and solitary life, until a fortuitous encounter forces him to re-examine choices made thirty years ago. The film produced by Silva Mysterium will also screen at Nordic Talents.
Two other Finnish films will premiere at Toronto. Mika Kaurismäki's Three Wise Men, about three anti-heroes who escape their family woes for a Karaoke bar on Christmas Eve will be shown at the Contemporary World Cinema. The film produced by Kaurismäki's Marianne Films, is sold internationally by Wide Management. As for Sauna, the horror movie by AJ Annila (Jade Warrior), produced by Bronson Club, will screen at the Vanguard.
On the Danish front, five films will screen at Toronto. Kristian Levring's Fear Me Not and Ole Christian Madsen's Flame & Citron (Contemporary World Cinema), Sunshine Barry & The Disco Worms (Family Sprocket Zone), the Documentary The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World (Real to Reel), and Jan Troell's Everlasting Moment (Masters), the first Scandinavian film officially recognized as a Danish/Swedish film in co-production with Norway, Finland and Germany.
Levring's Fear Me Not will also screen in San Sebastian's main competition programme.
Sweden has two films in Toronto: Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments, and Ella Lemhagen's Patrik Age 1.5 (Contemporary World Cinema). Simon Staho's majority Swedish co-production Heaven's Heart which premiered in Berlin will now screen at San Sebastian's Zabaltegi Pearls.
Norway enjoys the festival tour of Cold Lunch, by first time director Eva Sørhaug. The film which just opened Venice's Critics Week will screen at the Discovery section in Toronto.
Bent Hamer's O'Horten will be presented at Toronto's Contemporary World Cinema.
Iceland will bring two wedding themed movies to Toronto's Contemporary World Cinema. Baltasar Kormákur's 2008 hit White Night Wedding, and Valdis Oskarsdóttir's feature debut Country Wedding.