11/03/2010

Copenhagen-based sales company TrustNordisk has closed several territories on four Nordic films that premiered at the last Berlinale, including Hans Petter Moland’s Norwegian crowd-pleaser A Somewhat Gentle Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hans Petter Moland
film profile] and Danish drama A Family [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Pernille Fischer Christensen.

Moland’s comedy, which received the Berliner Morgenpost Audience Award in Berlin, sold to Wild Bunch Benelux, Switzerland (Xenix), CIS/Baltics (Maywin Media), Germany and Austria (Neue Visionen) and Poland (Vivarto). The Paradox production will open in Norway on March 19.

A Family, recipient of a FIPRESCI award in Berlin, was sold to Israel (Nachshon) and Switzerland (Ascot Elite), following the previously announced deals with Wild Bunch Benelux and Vivarto for Poland. The Zentropa production will open in Denmark on October 28.

Two Swedish films that premiered at the market also scored well with world buyers. Daniel Espinosa’s fast-paced thriller Easy Money [+see also:
trailer
film profile] was sold to Spain (Contracorriente Film), France (MK2), Benelux (Lumière) and CIS/Baltics (Maywin Media), while Josef Fares’ comedy Balls [+see also:
trailer
film profile] was bought by New Cinema (Israel) and Estin Film (Baltic countries).

Both films are making a splash at the Swedish box office. Last weekend, Espinosa’s film was still in the top ten, at number seven, after two months on releases (over 500,000 admissions) and Balls was second after four weeks.

TrustNordisk also announced that, in a groundbreaking deal, the company has sold Kaspar Barfoed’s The Candidate to China (Lens Media), making it the first-ever Danish film to enter the country. The title has sold to over 20 territories so far.