450 films on show in Göteborg

by Annika Pham

16/01/2008 - A total of 450 films from 67 countries will screen in the 21 sections of the 31st Göteborg International Film Festival (January 25-February 4), the biggest annual film gathering in the Nordic territories.

Two Swedish films with a similar theme – brothers in conflict – will open and close the festival, respectively: Jens Jonsson’s directorial debut The King of Ping Pong [trailer] and Miko Lazic’s thriller Iskariot.

“It feels good to screen two films that very clearly demonstrate that Swedish film, quality-wise, is in an excellent condition,” said festival director Marit Kapla.

The King of Ping Pong is also one of eight films competing for the €10,600 Film Dragon Award in the Nordic Film competition. The jury this year is made of film critic Monica Tunbäck-Hansson, directors Aku Louhimies (Finland) and Ragnar Bragason (Iceland), producers Anna Anthony (Sweden) and Jørgen Storm Rosenberg (Norway), and actress Sonja Richter (Denmark).

The five films competing for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award include The Class [trailer] (Estonia), Solitary Fragments [trailer] (Spain), Water Lilies [trailer] (France), Hounds (Germany), and Continental: A Film Without Guns (Canada). This prestigious award will be given by a jury of five international filmmakers comprising Margarethe von Trotta, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, István Szabó and Kim Rossi Stuart.

Business will be held at the Nordic Film Market from January 31 to February 3.