12/04/2005

Five new feature films have been awarded production support from the Danish Film Institute for a total of Dkr 32,4 million, including two Zentropa Productions.

Annette K.Olesen who directed the tenth Dogme film In Your Hands [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is preparing Den der sover (provisionary title He is Sleeping), a new drama written by Kim Fupz Aakeson, starring Anette Støvelbaek, Helle Hertz and Trine Appel. The film produced by Ib Tardini for Zentropa was awarded Dk7.5M. Domestic release date is set for February 2006.

The second Zentropa production which received a Dkr7.9m grant is Susanne Bier [+see also:
trailer
film profile]’s new project Efter Brylluppet (After the Wedding) based on an original story she co-wrote with her usual scriptwriter/collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen. The film produced by Sisse Graun Jørgensen stars Mads Mikkelsen, Sidse Babett Knudsen and Rolf Lassgård. Filming will start in May, and the Danish premiere is set for early 2006.

Martin Strange-Hansen who won an Oscar in 2002 Oscar for his short Den er en yndig mand, is going to direct his first feature film, Den rette ånd (True Spirit) for M&M Productions. The comedy about a magician who teams up with an insurance agent (Jesper Asholt) to become ghost busters, is co-written by the director and Flemming Klem. The project which was awarded Dkr 6M will be ready in March 2006.

The writer-director-producer duo Michael Wikke and Steen Rasmussen are working on a musical/fantasy film for children: Der var engang en dreng. It tells the story of a 10 year-old boy who gets a little sister…with wings. Unable to keep the winged child in their tiny apartment, the parents send her away to flight school. But her brother Jon misses her and sets on a mission to go and find her. The film stars Nicholas Bro, Anders W.Berthelsen and the two directors. The film which received a Dkr9M grant will be ready in the autumn 2006.

Finally director Simon Staho is working on his third feature film Bang Bang Orangutang, a drama about a stressed-out businessman who inadvertently brings the worst kind of tragedy upon his family. In the lead roles are top Swedish actors Mikael Persbrandt, Lena Olin, Michael Nyqvist, Fares Fares and Tuva Novotny. The Danish/Swedish co-production produced by Cinevita Film Company received Dkr2M support. The Swedish release date is set for October 2005.