05/02/2007

During last night’s closing ceremony of the 30th Göteborg Film Festival, first-time Swedish director Johan Kling’s Darling won the prestigious Nordic Film Prize.

The jury described it as "a film that intelligently and effectively depicts the shallow and often heartless lifestyle of a young urban elite. It also deals with the social abandonment of elderly people in today's society and, through an unexpected meeting between these two worlds, shows us the need for human compassion."

Darling, starring Swedish upcoming actress Michelle Meadows, was the first feature film produced by Spader Knekt Film, in co-production with Svensk Filmindustri (SF) with co-financing from SVT and Station to Station.

SF will release it this Friday in Sweden and NonStop Sales is handling world distribution.

Other major awards given away last night were the Church of Sweden Film Prize, to Nanna Huolman’s directorial debut That Special Summer (Kid Svensk) [+see also:
trailer
film profile], described by the jury as “a film that is a powerful and sympathetic account from 1980s Sweden, with great resonance in today's multi-ethnic Sweden." Trust Film Sales is handling world sales.

Cinematographer Harald Paalgard won the Kodak Nordic Vision Award for his work on Peter Schønau's The Art of Crying [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Jens Lien’s already multi-awarded film The Bothersome Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jens Lien
interview: Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
film profile] won the Fipresci Prize "for its original and brilliant storytelling, its humorous view of modern western society and its statement against homologation and conformism."

Lastly, the new Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award went to Andrea Arnold’s Red Road [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

For its exceptional 30th jubilee, the Göteborg Film Festival registered its highest ever attendance levels, with approximately 122,400 tickets sold, a personal success for artistic director Jannike Åhlund, who has decided to give up her position and will be replaced by programme coordinator Marit Kapla.