Celebrating the best new Nordic cinema, plus a Nordic Noir spotlight, the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival presented by Palace offers an exciting and enlightening selection of cinema from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. The program of 19 films will screen in cinemas nationally from 9 July.
The 2019 Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival will open around Australia with the cheeky, star-studded comedy HAPPY ENDING from actress-turned-director Hella Joof (2015 Scandi FF smash hit All Inclusive).
Top Danish actors Birthe Neumann (five Robert Awards from the Danish Film Academy, two Bodils from the Danish Film Critics) and Kurt Ravn (two Bodils) head up the cast, which also includes Mette Munk Plum (Borgen), Tammi Øst (The Killing) and Scandi FF 2017 festival guest Charlotte Sieling (The Man, Borgen, Homeland).
The programme includes a number of international festival favourites and award-winners. Here is a sneak-peak into the 2019 Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival program:
Fresh from its praised premiere in Critics’ Week at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is award-winning director Hlynur Palmason’s (Winter Brothers, Scandi FF 2018) disquieting yet spellbinding A WHITE, WHITE DAY (Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur) – a powerful exploration of a man overcome with grief who is losing control.
Based on an epic and prophetic poem by Swedish Nobel Prize winner Harry Martinson, directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s astounding and apocalyptic ANIARA is a starkly beautiful piece of cinema wrought with emotion. Aboard a luxury Noah’s Ark spaceship named Aniara, a colony of materialistic and consumption-obsessed humans flee the now-destroyed Earth.
From official selection at SXSW Film Festival and a nominee for Best Nordic Film at the Göteborg Film Festival comes the wicked and tender rom-com AURORA in which commitment-phobic party girl Aurora and Iranian refugee Darian agree to help each other in unconventional but vital ways.
Praised at its world premiere at Toronto Film Festival, LET ME FALL is an essential and harrowing look at addiction which has been celebrated by critics and audiences alike for the stellar performances and enthralling direction by Baldvin Z (Life in a Fishbowl, 2014).
Oscar nominee Klaus Härö’s (The Fencer, 2015) bittersweet and moving drama ONE LAST DEAL (Tuntematon mestari), follows an aging art dealer as he is presented with one final opportunity to fix his broken life and reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson.
The full program will be announced mid June.
The festival will take place nationally from 9 July in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Hobart.
Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival 2019
NSW 9 – 31 Jul Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street & Palace Central
ACT 10 – 31 Jul Palace Electric
VIC 11 – 31 Jul Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn
& Palace Westgarth
SA 16 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Nova Eastend & Palace Nova Prospect
WA 17 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Cinema Paradiso, Palace Raine Square and Luna on SX.
QLD 18 Jul – 7 Aug Palace Centro and Palace Barracks
BYRON 17 – 31 Jul. Palace Byron Bay
TAS 25 – 31 Jul State Cinema
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com
