Norwegian directors Vibeke Idsøe’s first film in six years, The Lion Woman [+leggi anche:
trailer
intervista: Vibeke Idsøe
scheda film], and Hallvard Bræin’s Børning 2 – On Ice [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hallvard Bræin
scheda film] – the sequel to his car-racing comedy, which became the most popular Norwegian film of 2014, taking 381,648 admissions and snagging four Amandas, the national film prize – are among the 15 premieres slated for the autumn season, the line-up of which was presented on 16 August by the Norwegian Film Institute at Oslo’s Film House.

“The productions have been 37% supported by government funding – the rest of the budgets come from international pre-sales, private investors who have faith in films, and filmmakers’ investments,” said the institute’s managing director, Sindre Guldvog, at the season introduction attended by producers, directors and actors from the films. 

“It shows that the filmmakers have a strong will to get their films made, and that they are talented at attaining national and international finance, which is necessary in an increasingly international market. The result is even better Norwegian films, and the eventual winner of this is the cinema audience,” Guldvog concluded.

Both The Lion Woman (which will open the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund on 20 August) and Børning 2 – On Ice were produced by veteran Norwegian producer John M Jacobsen’s Oslo outfit, Filmkameratene. Based on Norwegian author Erik Fosnes Hansen’s novel, and starring Rolf Lassgård, Connie Nielsen, Burghart Klaussner and Kjersti Tveterås, the period drama set between 1912 and 1937 follows Eva, who is born with hair covering her whole body. Despite the many challenges that are thrown at her, she manages to face and overcome them. 

While Børning 1 [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] depicted a car race between Oslo and North Cape, the sequel sends the drivers from the Norwegian west coast through Sweden and Finland to Murmansk in Russia. With Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Ida Husøy and Sven Nordin in the leads, Børning 2 - On Ice will reach local cinemas on 12 October.

Two children’s and family films are also on the slate: Norwegian directors Peder Hamdahl Næss’ Little Grey Fergie - Full Throttle [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] (out on 9 September) and Rasmus A Sivertsen’s In the Forest of Huckybucky [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (out on 25 December). Little Grey Fergie is the fifth film about Norway’s most famous tractor, a Ferguson TE20, who, after a serious accident, has his heart (a spark plug) transplanted into a sports car. Meanwhile, Sivertsen’s fully animated film is based on Norwegian author Thorbjørn Egner’s 1949 children’s classic, about Claus Climbermouse, Morten Wood Mouse, Mister Hare and all their tiny animal friends.

After his award-winning A Thousand Times Good Night [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Erik Poppe
scheda film] (2013), Norwegian director Erik Poppe has filmed The King’s Choice [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Erik Poppe
scheda film], a historical drama describing the three days after Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940 and gave King Haakon the ultimatum of “surrender or die”. Starring Jesper Christensen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen and Tuva Novotny, it will open on 23 September.