This year, the Norwegian International Film Festival makes an early start on
Friday 18 August with a grand celebration of last year’s films: the Amanda
Award Ceremony, for the first time on TV2 and for the first time from
Festiviteten Concert Hall. The host of the evening is Thomas Giertsen,
surrounded by distinguished artists and glamorous award presenters, most of
whom with connections to the Norwegian film scene.
Cultural Minister Trond Giske will undertake the official opening of the
festival on Saturday 19 August, followed by Stefan Faldbakken’s debut film
Uro. Faldbakken will be present in the festival city together with his
stars, who include Ane Dahl Torp and Nicolai Cleve Broch.
It has become a Haugesund tradition to open as well as end with a Norwegian
film, and on the festival’s last day, yet another strong debutant will enter
the cinema: Erik Richter Strand with the thriller drama Sons, whose world
premiere is right here in Haugesund. In addition to actors and crew, he will
bring both Magnet and Warlocks, who have done the music for the film.
Between 19 and 24 August, as many as three Norwegian documentaries will meet
audiences and industry alike on the big screen in Haugesund. The first one
comes on Sunday: Next Stop Cuba, directed by Hege Dehli, the story of
Fredrikstad’s Cinema Manager Olav Kjeldsen’s close relationship with Cuba,
art and cinema. Monday, Henrik Ibsen – Lion, directed by Alexander Wisting,
which presents an overview of the poet’s entire life: a worthy cinematic
rounding off of the Ibsen Year. Then we have Gunhild Asting’s utterly
charming and touching human portrait, It’s Hard to Be a Rock’n Roller, which
comes to the festival city on Tuesday, along with its protagonists. You will
also meet the band Merkesteinane, an extraordinary collection of people who
have something to teach us about friendship& and rock ’n’ roll.
Petter Næss’s first Hollywood assignment has resulted in Mozart and the
Whale, with Josh Hartnett in one of the main roles. It is about two people
with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), whose emotional dysfunction is
about to ruin their budding romance. Black Gold is co-produced by the
Norwegian Øistein Moskvil Thorsen and takes us to Ethiopia, where the coffee
bean farmers live far below the poverty line because of low coffee prices
decided by the white-collars of the New York Stock Exchange. Thorsen will
bring one of his two British directors to Haugesund.
MARKETPLACE AND MEETING PLACE
The market in Haugesund, New Nordic Films,
has during the last few years definitely grown into one of the most
important arenas for the Nordic film industry. For the very first time, we
will also organise a co-production forum targeted at Nordic producers, in
co-operation with peacefulfish. The ten best of the forty-two submitted
British film projects have been selected for evaluation by the forum, and
the projects actively look for co-production deals with the Nordic
countries. Fifty producers have so far registered with the forum.
In addition, twenty-seven Nordic films will be screened for the New Nordic
Films participants, who are producers, buyers and festival programmers from
all over the world.
A FILM FESTIVAL THAT ROCKS
The Norwegian International Film Festival in
Haugesund is proud to present music acts and music films of the highest
quality. Through a number of concerts and a special programme of music films
that are screened at Byscenen every night, the festival will provide
audiences with alternative film and music experiences. The artists include
Big Bang, Warlocks, Magnet, Enslaved, Thomas Dybdahl and Merkesteinane, and
among the films we find Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Gasolin’ and many others.
We can also offer a very special experience: the silent film concert in Vår
Frelsers Kirke, a church in which the virtuoso organ player Jacob Lorentzen
will accompany the screening of Carl Th. Dreyer’s Le Passion de Jeanne d’Arc.
SEMINARS AND DISCUSSIONS
This year’s Amanda seminar asks the question:
is it true that budget limitations will lead to stories more driven by
character than plot? To which degree does the access to funding influence
the means as regards screenplay development? Is it true that we have during
the last few years got more films that may be defined as character-driven
(contrary to plot-driven)? Is this connected to low budgets? What does a
character drama require from the director?
Trond Giske will front this year’s Politician Seminar whose headline is A
new government – new cultural policies? The new ”culture law” is central
here.
The Norwegian Film Critics’ Association invites you to a Nordic panel debate
about why so few films are about existential or socially aware themes: where
are the serious and original ideas? The seminar is called The Bothersome
Film and will be led by Gunnar Rehlin from Sweden, one of Scandinavia’s most
renowned film journalists.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
For more information, please contact:
Festival Director Gunnar
Johan Løvvik Tel: 52 74 33 75 / 90 16 63 73
Programme Director
Håkon Skogrand Tel: 22 47 46 23 / 90 86 20 55
Press contact Beate
Tangre Tel: 22 47 46 22 / 97 66 18 48
