19/01/2010

The 33rd Göteborg International Film Festival (GIFF) will kick off on January 29 with the Swedish documentary The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González (Plattform Produktion) and end on February 7 with The Temptation of St. Tony [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by acclaimed Estonian filmmaker Veiko Õunpuu.

As many as 450 films from 78 countries will screen across 21 sections during the nine-day event. For artistic director Marit Kapla, the three key words for this year’s GIFF are Africa, India (Beyond Bollywood cinema) and Sharing, that is, “sharing each other’s reality”. European filmmakers who will be on hand to share their knowledge at master-classes include filmmakers Goran Paskaljevic, Jessica Hausner, Claire Denis and Sally Potter.

In the main Nordic Film competition programme, The Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Fredrik Egerstrand and Mikel Cee Karlsson will run against seven other Nordic films: from Denmark, Nicolo Donato's Brotherhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
Interview Nicolo Donato [IT]
interview: Nicolo Donato
film profile] and R by Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer; Zaida Bergroth's Last Cowboy Standing [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Finland), Dagur Kári's The Good Heart [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Iceland); The Angel [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Margreth Olin and Upperdog [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Sara Johnsen, both from Norway; and Babak Najafi's Sebbe [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Sweden).

In the second most important competition programme, eight striking directorial debuts will vie for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award, including Tom Ford’s A Single Man (US), Maren Ade’s Everyone Else [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maren Ade
film profile] (Germany), Martin Zandvliet’s Applause [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Martin Pieter Zandvliet
film profile] (Denmark) and Esther Rots’ Can Go Through Skin [+see also:
film review
film profile].

Three Swedish producers have been shortlisted for the Lorens Producer of the Year Award and its SEK 500,000 (€49,000) cash prize: Helena Danielsson (A Rational Solution [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jörgen Bergmark
film profile]), Kristina Åberg (Metropia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] , Videocracy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Anders Landström (Glowing Stars [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]). The winner will be announced during the Dragon Awards ceremony on February 6.

Over 200 international film professionals will attend the parallel Nordic Film Market from February 4-7.