The Festival is delighted to welcome new naming rights partner Hurtigruten, long associated with the Nordic region. Damien Perry, Managing Director APAC, Hurtigruten says,”We’re proud to be the naming sponsor of the 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival. As the original and undisputed travel expert in Scandinavia and along

Norway’s stunning coastline for over 130 years, Hurtigruten has always been about genuine and authentic experiences with a deep connection to the Nordic people. Partnering with Palace to celebrate the richness of Scandinavian storytelling is a natural extension of who we are. This festival reflects the culture, landscapes, and spirit of the North that we love to share with the world.”

Opening the 2025 Festival is NUMBER 24 (Nr. 24), from multi award-winning director John Andreas Andersen (The Burning Sea, The Quake). This gripping Norwegian spy drama depicts the extraordinary true story of an ‘every-man’ drawn into the resistance movement during World War II, exploring the morality of wartime and the weight of responsibility in the fight for freedom.

Direct from the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the coveted Grand Prix, is this year’s unmissable Centrepiece, SENTIMENTAL VALUE from director Joachim Trier. Reuniting Trier with star Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), the intimate drama also stars Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning in a moving exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.

The 2025 Special Presentation is QUISLING: THE FINAL DAYS (Quislings siste dager). Set in 1945 Norway, this bold and provocative drama from acclaimed director Erik Poppe (The King’s Choice, ScandiFF 17) follows the post-liberation trial of the country’s infamous and controversial head of state Vidkun Quisling, in a stirring meditation on complicity, faith and the capacity for self-deception.

A box office sensation in Iceland, black comedy GRAND FINALE (Fullt hús) is this year’s Closing Night film. Featuring an all-star Icelandic ensemble cast, this wildly entertaining tale revolves around a near-bankrupt chamber orchestra in Reykjavik who try to secure their future with a world-famous cellist.

Also from Iceland is the powerful and visually stunning drama THE MOUNTAIN (Fjallið), the first officially vetted sustainable production in the country, awarded the prestigious Green Film Sustainability certification. Starring Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney (daughter of singer Björk and artist Matthew Barney) in her first feature role, the coming-of-age story explores how the cosmos and a road trip to the Icelandic highlands offers comfort to a family whose life is upended by a twist of fate.

The Icelandic selection also includes ODD FISH (Ljósvíkingar) a tale of dreams, identity and acceptance which follows two childhood friends who get a long-awaited opportunity to run their seafood restaurant all year round yet face unexpected personal challenges.

Leading the Danish film selection is compelling drama SECOND VICTIMS (Det andet offer), starring Festival favourite Trine Dyrholm. Featuring stellar performances from both Dyrholm and Özlem Saglanmak (Borgen), this timely reflection on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals follows a neurologist on a shift that will change her life forever, exploring the weight of guilt and the power of compassion.

Direct from the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival, is poignant drama THE LAST PARADISE ON EARTH (Seinasta paradís á jørð). Beautifully capturing the unique culture and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands, it is a moving exploration of identity, grief, and longing.

Based on the incredible true story of Denmark’s biggest-ever robbery, THE QUIET ONES (De lydløse) follows a group of criminals in their heist preparations with a stellar ensemble cast including Gustav Giese, Reda Kateb, Christopher Wagelin and Amanda Collin.

From acclaimed director Charlotte Sieling (Margrete – Queen of the North ScandiFF 22) and starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas, WAY HOME (Vejen hjem) is a gripping drama set against the backdrop of war-torn Syria that posits how far a Danish father is willing to go to save the people he loves.

Trine Dyrholm delivers yet another acting masterclass in BEGINNINGS (Begyndelser) alongside David Dencik in this deeply moving exploration of love and resilience.

From Finland, debut director Paula Korva’s comedy/drama SUDDEN OUTBURSTS OF EMOTIONS (Kenraaliharjoitus) is the story of an ordinary couple who decide to open their relationship to reignite their passion. Although everything seems fine to start, emotional chaos is soon unleashed.

The entertaining comedy from Mika Kaurismäki LONG GOOD THURSDAY (Mielensäpahoittajan rakkaustarina) sees the return of Finnish comedy icon Heikki Kinnunen as the fur hatted ‘The Grump’. Imbued with deadpan humour, the Grump’s life is awakened when he falls in love. Also guaranteed to deliver a laugh is Finnish box office hit 100 LITRES OF GOLD (100 litraa Sahtia), the story of a pair of beer-brewing sisters and a tribute to the small provinces, local pride and to sahti, the liquid gold traditional brew of Finland.

From celebrated director Klaus Härö comes gripping true story NEVER ALONE (Ei koskaan yksin), shining a light on the plight of Jewish refugees who sought sanctuary in Finland during WWII. It stars Ville Virtanen as inspiring humanitarian Abraham Stiller who risked everything during a pivotal time in the war.

In the selection from Norway is the delightful debut feature from Egil Pedersen MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER, (Biru Unjárga), in which a Sámi teenager’s life dramatically shifts when her true father emerges; while MY UNCLE JENS (Onkel Jens), follows the upending of a young teacher’s peaceful life in Oslo when his Kurdish uncle unexpectedly comes to stay.

Featuring a score by internationally renowned Norwegian musician Thomas Dybdahl, Norway’s EVERYTHING MUST GO (Alt Skal Bort) explores the comedy and drama of three siblings reuniting at their childhood home.

From Sweden is LIVE A LITTLE (Leva Lite), a story of two friends on a couch surfing adventure across Europe, navigating uncertainty and intimacy as they strive to find themselves. And in a tale of cultural clashes, love and arranged marriage, Swedish romantic comedy JALLA! JALLA! celebrates its 25TH anniversary, following Roro and Måns as they navigate life – still as fresh as ever in 2025!

Finally, the Festival is thrilled to be screening special encores of WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS (Ljósbrot) which recently won Best Nordic Film at the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival. The poignant drama follows a young woman whose conscience and resilience are tested over the course of a long summer’s day in Iceland.

The 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival will take place from July to August. Tickets are now on sale.

2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival
Melbourne: 11 July – 3 August, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre
Ballarat: 11 July – 3 August, Palace Regent Cinema
Canberra: 16 July – 10 August, Palace Electric
Sydney: 17 July – 10 August, Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema Adelaide: 23 July – 13 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas Brisbane: 23 July – 14 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Perth: 24 July – 13 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square
Byron Bay and Ballina: 24 July – 13 August, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

The restaurant became internationally known when it won its first Michelin star in 2017. It also only serves 30 diners a night but still has nine chefs and five waiters. The film focuses on head chef Poul Andrias Ziska. His views on sourcing and preparing food are informed by the harsh landscape of the Faroe Islands.

The film uses an unflinching approach to depicting how Ziska deals with livestock and marine animals. This includes the butchering of a sheep and the draining of its blood and the removal of its entrails. It’s full on and drives home the point of how removed Westerners have become from where their food comes from.

Confrontation aside, the point that different areas of the world have their own views on the morality of food production and consumption is succinctly made. Nordic By Nature provides amazing insights into a location that feels almost otherworldly.
Rob Hudson

Nordic By Nature screenings in Brisbane
Palace James St
Thursday 21, July 5:20 PM
Wednesday 3, August 5:30 PM
Sunday 7, August 3:45 PM

Palace Barracks
Saturday 23, July 12:15 PM
Friday 29, July 12:45 PM
Monday 8, August 6:20 PM

The Scandinavian Film Festival runs in Brisbane from July 20 to August 10, and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas.

Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

This year’s specially curated selection encompasses films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, including ten directed by women, with many screening for the first time outside of Europe.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, THE EMIGRANTS (Utvandrarna) will close the Festival. The Emigrants follows a struggling farming family in mid-19th Century Sweden who decide to embark on the arduous journey to new hope in America. Starring the late Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann, The Emigrants was nominated for five Oscars® and won Golden Globe awards for Best Actress (Liv Ullmann) and Best Foreign Film. The Closing Night screenings will feature a celebratory Scandi cocktail in tribute to acting great Max Von Sydow who passed away in March 2020.

The Festival will open with WILDLAND (Kød & Blod). Set in Denmark’s underbelly, Jeanette Nordahl’s striking Scandi-noir follows an impressionable teenage girl who is placed in the care of her estranged aunt (an incredible Sidse Babette Knudsen), the head of a family crime syndicate.

Sidse Babette Knudsen also stars in THE EXCEPTION (Undtagelsen), alongside Danica Curcic, Amanda Collin and Lena Marie Christensen. The Exception is an electrifying Copenhagen-set psychological thriller about four colleagues at a NGO, who suspect each other after a series of mysterious death threats.

Stellan Skarsgård and Andrea Bræin Hovig star in HOPE (Håp), a stunningly acted relationship drama about a creative couple by director Maria Sødahl, that was Norway’s official submission to the 2021 Academy Awards.

A luminescent Laura Birn stars in HELENE, a captivating portrait of Finland’s most acclaimed painter of the early twentieth century, Helene Schjerfbeck.

While TOVE is a fascinating depiction of the life and personal relationships of Finnish visual artist and author Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins.

Laura Birn also appears with Swedish star Christian Hillborg (The Last Kingdom, The Bridge, Fleabag) in the GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (Seurapeli). A group of old friends gather at an idyllic Finnish seaside villa to celebrate a surprise birthday, where old feelings and power struggles rise to the surface.

Musical comedy A PIECE OF MY HEART (En del av mitt hjärta) also stars Christian Hillborg opposite Hollywood star Malin Akerman who plays successful businesswoman Isabella. She returns to her hometown where she learns that her teenage love (Hillborg) is getting married in this Swedish box office sensation.

Weddings also feature in films from Denmark and Norway. PERSONA NON GRATA (Hvor kragerne vender) is a black comedy about uncomfortable family relations following a cosmopolitan Copenhagen writer who returns to her rural hometown for her brother’s wedding.

While DIANA’S WEDDING (Dianas bryllup) is a bittersweet tribute to love, telling the story of Norwegians Liv and Terje and the unconventional, stormy marriage they embark on the very same day as Diana Spencer and Prince Charles exchange vows in London.

This year’s Special Presentation is TIGERS (Tigrar). Crowned Best Nordic Film at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival, Tigers is the enthralling true story of Swedish football wunderkind Martin Bengtsson, a former Inter Milan player, who lifted the lid on a world where everyone has a price tag.

Rising Norwegian star Josefine Frida Pettersen (Skam) shines in Jorunn Myklebust Syversen’s provocative new drama DISCO about a young evangelical dance champion whose faith is tested, prompting her to search for radical solutions.

Also from Norway, BEWARE OF CHILDREN (Barn). This multi award-winning and critically acclaimed drama traces the dramatic aftermath of a tragic event in a middle-class suburb of Oslo, examining society’s reaction when crisis strikes amongst children.

Danish production ANY DAY NOW (Ensilumi) is a celebration of the quietly humane; an Iranian family in Finland await a decision about whether they will be granted an official asylum status in Hamy Ramezan’s personal first feature.

While the deeply moving 2020 Göteborg Film Festival opener PSYCHOSIS IN STOCKHOLM (Psykos i Stockholm) is a surreal drama about a mother and daughter who embark on a trip to Stockholm, yet their plan is derailed when the mother begins acting strangely.

Also from Sweden is a very different mother-daughter relationship at the heart of CALL MUM! (Ring Mamma!). Niki has just turned 35 and is suddenly forced to come to grips with all her relationships and past choices in life in this charming comedy from the director of She Monkeys, Lisa Aschan.

At the Centrepiece of the Festival is THE COUNTY (Héraðið), Grímur Hákonarson’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to the global hit Rams. The County is a rousing, David-and-Goliath comedy about a dairy farmer’s wife (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) who takes on the corrupt local co-op in her remote Icelandic valley.

Based on his eponymous play, Ragnar Bragason’s THE GARDEN (Gullregn) stars acclaimed actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir (Woman at War), alongside Trapped star Sigrún Edda Björnsdóttir in a dark comedy of self-reflection that delves into xenophobia in Iceland.

Iceland’s entry into the 2021 Academy Awards, AGNES JOY (Hæ, hó Agnes Joy) is a tale of intergenerational struggle in a picturesque setting that was a winner with audiences.

In Iceland’s #1 box office hit comedy of 2020, THE LAST FISHING TRIP (Síðasta veiðiferðin), it’s The Hangover meets Sideways as six friends depart on their annual fishing trip leaving their wives, work and worries at home!

In GRANDMA HOFI (Amma Hófí) a pair of senior citizens, fed up with the conditions in their retirement home, decide to rob banks so they can afford a small apartment. Stars Icelandic comedy royalty Edda Björgvinsdóttir (Under the Tree) and Þórhallur ‘Laddi’ Sigurðsson (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).

The specially curated programme of films and events includes a Dansk Cocktail presented by Copenhagen Distillery Gin, Sparkling Screenings presented by Marimekko plus Carlsberg and Nordic flavours at selected events.

Tickets are now on sale at www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com.

The 2021 Scandinavian Film Festival will take place nationally from 6 July – 4 August, in the following cities:
Sydney: 6 – 28 July, Palace Norton, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas
Canberra: 7 – 28 July, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 8 – 28 July, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema
Adelaide: 13 July – 4 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
Perth: 14 July – 4 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square
Brisbane: 15 July – 4 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Byron Bay: 16 July – 1 August, Palace Byron Bay

For more information, please visit www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com and register your email to receive updates.

The Festival will open with WILDLAND (Kød & Blod). Set in Denmark’s underbelly, Jeanette Nordahl’s striking Scandi-noir follows an impressionable teenage girl who is placed in the care of her estranged aunt, (an incredible Sidse Babett Knudsen), the head of a family crime syndicate.

From Finland comes the GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (Seurapeli). A group of old friends gather at an idyllic Finnish seaside villa to celebrate a surprise birthday, where old feelings and power struggles rise to the surface, starring Laura Birn and Christian Hillborg.

At the Centrepiece of the Festival is THE COUNTY (Héraðið), Grímur Hákonarson’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to the global hit Rams. THE COUNTY is a rousing, David-and-Goliath comedy about a dairy farmer’s wife (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) who takes on the corrupt local co-op in her remote Icelandic valley.

Rising Norwegian star Josefine Frida Pettersen (Skam) shines in Jorunn Myklebust Syversen’s provocative new drama DISCO about a young evangelical dance champion whose faith is tested, prompting her to search for radical solutions.

This year’s Special Presentation of TIGERS (Tigrar). Crowned Best Nordic Film at the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival, Tigers is the enthralling true story of Martin Bengtsson, a former Inter Milan player, who lifted the lid on a world where everyone has a price tag.

Festival Director Elysia Zeccola said: “We emerge from hibernation with a stunning selection of the best Nordic cinema, including award-winning films direct from the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival featuring the brightest stars from the region.”

The full programme will be announced in June when tickets go on sale.

The 2021 Scandinavian Film Festival will take place nationally from 6 July – 4 August, in the following cities:
Sydney: 6 – 28 July, Palace Norton, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas
Canberra: 7 – 28 July, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 8 – 28 July, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema
Adelaide: 13 July – 4 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
Perth: 14 July – 4 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square
Brisbane: 15 July – 4 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Byron Bay: 16 July – 1 August, Palace Byron Bay
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

Now a much anticipated fixture on the festival calendar, the third Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival presented by Palace will see some of the most exciting and fresh movies from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland grace Palace Cinema screens around Australia from 5 July.

National Festivals Director Elysia Zeccola Hill who has been running the festivals at Palace Cinemas for the last 18 years said: “Scandinavia has produced some of the most iconic films ever made. This festival screens the hottest talent from the most current crop of films. Over the past 10 days in Cannes I have locked in the final films for this edition and they will premiere on the big screen in Australia less than two months later.”

To whet cinema goers appetite, here is a preview of the 2016 program:
Finland’s official Oscar contender, and winner of Best Film at Finland’s 2016 Jussi Awards, THE FENCER, offers a fictionalised take on a real-life fencing teacher who took a stand against Stalinist oppression in Soviet-era Estonia. Fleeing from the Russian secret police, a young Estonian fencer is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school. However, the past catches up with him as he comes face to face with a difficult choice.

Meanwhile, more in the spirit of recent Nordic fare, tense suspense thriller ABSOLUTION starring the brilliant Laura Birn (2014 Festival guest) tackles the moral questions of guilt and revenge after a hit-and-run accident spirals out of control. Mari Rantasila (2015 Festival film Armi Alive!), took the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in this film at Finland’s recent Jussi Awards

Also from Finland, OTHER GIRLS (Toiset Tytöt) is a survival story about those moments when life gives you a brutal kick, but you decide to kick back. HARD! Based on true events, it follows 18-year-old girls Jessica, Jenny, Taru and Aino who are on the verge of adulthood as they lose their innocence and, at times, their faith.

From Sweden, the documentary comedy NICE PEOPLE is a real-life “Cool Runnings” which has won over audiences’ hearts worldwide. The predominantly white community of the rural Swedish town of Borlänge are confronted by the influx of Somalis who have fled war. Integrating has proven difficult, so entrepreneur Patrik Andersson decides that all the Swedes and Somalis need is something to talk about together, and so he encourages them to learn Bandy (a cross between ice hockey and soccer). This highly entertaining and touching documentary follows the young Somalis’ long journey from their first hesitant steps on the ice to the very first goal in the history of their country, coached by legendary former bandy player Per Fosshaug and Cia Embretsen, and accompanied and commented on by the well-known Swedish duo of entertainers Fredrik Wikingsson and Filip Hammar.

Winner of the Audience Award at the Guldbagge Awards (Swedish Academy Awards) Staffan Lindberg’s LOVE IS THE DRUG is a comedy about super rich Veronica (played by international star Izabella Scorupco) and Mike, a carpenter, and all that stands between their love, including stepchildren, ex partners and new parents-in-law.

Danish Director Christina Rosendahl makes her mark with her second feature film THE IDEALIST (Idealisten) starring Peter Plaugborg, Søren Malling, Thomas Bo Larsen, Arly Jover and Jens Albinus. Based on real events of the 80s and 90s, THE IDEALIST deals with the conspiracies about Thule airbase during the cold war and a young journalist whistle-blower who tries to reveal the secrets behind a nuclear disaster.

The first feature film of Swedish-born Dane Daniel Dencik, GOLD COAST (Guldkysten) is a story of beauty and brutality, partly based on personal letters and diaries from the Danish botanist Wulff Joseph Wulff. In 1836, the young and visionary botanist (played by 2014 Berlin Film Festival Shooting Star award winner Jakob Oftebro) is sent to Africa by the King of Denmark to establish coffee plantations. What follows is an adventure into unknown territory that will change his young life forever.

Norway heralds Scandinavia’s first disaster movie THE WAVE (Bølgen). Starring Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Jonas Hoff Oftebro and Fritjof Såheim, the action packed film is based on the real-life event of the 1934 tsunami which hit Norway’s Tafiord as two million cubic metres of rock from a landslide triggered a wave of more than 85 metres high, and left 40 people dead in communities along the shore.

Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival 2016
Sydney: Tues 5 – Wed 27 July Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona
Melbourne: Wed 6 – Wed 27 July Palace Cinema Como, Brighton Bay, Westgarth
Canberra: Tues 12 – Wed 27 July Palace Electric
Brisbane: Wed 13 – Wed 27 July Palace Centro & Barracks
Adelaide: Tues 19 – Wed 27 July Palace Nova Eastend
Hobart: Wed 20 – Wed 27 July State Cinema
Perth: Thu 21 – Wed 3 August Cinema Paradiso
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com

Competition will be drawn 12 July 2016, winners will be notified by mail.

The second Scandinavian Film Festival will open with the uproarious HERE IS HAROLD (Her er Harold), a Norwegian road movie, about a man who sets out to kidnap the founder of Ikea. For over 40 years, Harold has been running a successful business, “Lunde Furniture”. But this comes to an end when IKEA decides to open a new superstore right next door to his small furniture shop. In mounting anger and desperation, Harold wants revenge. He arms himself with a pistol and sets off for Älmhult, Sweden, in order to kidnap his Nemesis – the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad. But unfortunately, Kamprad is quite happy to be kidnapped.

Having picked up Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director and seven more awards at the Edda (Icelandic Academy) Awards, unsparing Icelandic drama LIFE IN A FISH BOWL (Vonarstræti) tells three congruent tales of three people who have a lasting effect on one another. This naturalistic portrait of everyday life in Reykjavik on the eve of the country’s 2008 economic meltdown touched a nerve on home turf, becoming one of the countries biggest-ever domestic hits.

Based on a series of Finnish radio plays, THE GRUMP (Mielensäpahoittaja) is a broad satire from director Dome Karukoski (Heart of a Lion Scandinavian FF 2014) who returns to the comedy-of-bad behavior mode of his 2010 box office hit LAPLAND ODYSSEY. The film tells the story of a set-in-his-ways, 80-year-old farmer from rural Finland, who raises hell when he is forced to move in with his city-dwelling son.

A modern take on class conflict plays out in the critically acclaimed debut film UNDERDOG (Svenskjävel) by Swedish director Ronnie Sandahl. The drama tells the story of 23-year-old Dino (magnetic comedian Bianca Kronlöf) who dreams of a different life. Like an abundance of Swedes her age, she has fled the mass unemployment of her home country in search of a more worthwhile existence in a nouveau-riche Oslo. But her new life is caught in destructive loop of temporary jobs, financial trouble and hard partying, until she lands a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy ex-sportsman. During a few sultry summer weeks she ends up in the centre of an odd love triangle, an unpredictable struggle for affection as well as dominance. UNDERDOG is a tender and raw story of privilege and longing, yet at the same time a humorous and unmerciful observation of the shifted power balance between Sweden and Norway.

Named by Variety as one of the “TOP 10 EUROPEANS TO WATCH”, Norwegian Writer/Actor/Director Ole Giæver brings us OUT OF NATURE (Mot nature) a commentary on middle-class life and the Norwegian penchant for idealizing nature. With a wry Scandinavian sense of humor, OUT OF NATURE is a sharp and compelling film about a put-upon salary man who seeks spiritual and sexual renewal in the great outdoors.

Danish thrillers once again take center stage with this taught sequel to smash hit THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES. In THE ABSENT ONE (Fasandræberne), a troubling affair involving a double murder of twin siblings is reopened by the Copenhagen cold-case division after the kids’ father commits suicide. The Nordic noir-style mystery that toggles between the past and the present as it uncovers what really happened in the 1990s at one of the country’s poshest boarding schools is the second adaptation of a Jussi Adler-Olsen novel in the Department Q series. This film brings the entire behind-the-scenes team back together with director Mikkel Norgaard and lead actors Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares.

From Sweden, YOUNG SOPHIE BELL (Unga Sophie Bell) is Amanda Adolfsson’s longed for debut feature, and the second film to come out of Stockholm Film Festival’s scholarship for female directors. In the drama, two university friends move to Berlin after graduating, but their dreams are shattered when one suddenly and mysteriously disappears.

Scandinavian Film Festival 2015
QLD THU 16 JULY – SUN 26 JULY: PALACE CENTRO
NSW WED 8 JULY – SUN 26 JULY: PALACE NORTON STREET, PALACE VERONA
VIC THU 9 JULY – SUN 26 JULY: PALACE CINEMA COMO, PALACE BRIGHTON BAY
ACT TUE 14 JULY – SUN 26 JULY: PALACE ELECTRIC
BYRON FRI 17 JULY – THU 23 JULY: PALACE BYRON BAY
SA WED 22 JULY – WED 29 JULY: PALACE NOVA EASTEND CINEMA
WA THU 23 JULY – WED 29 JULY: CINEMA PARADISO
HOBART THU 23 JULY – WED 29 JULY: STATE CINEMA
www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com