Three shortlisted for Danish Foreign Oscar submission

The Danish Oscar committee has shortlisted three films, one of which will be submitted as Denmark’s official entry for the 87^th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

They include Niels Arden Oplev’s Speed Walking, Pernille Fischer Christensen’s Someone to Love You and Nils Malmros’ Sorrow and Joy.

The films were chosen from a longlist of 18 features and four documentaries. The committee is expected to name the final candidate on Sept 18.

Denmark has had a strong showing at the Oscars in recent years, with two nominations and a win for Susanne Bier’s In A Better World in 2011.

The announcement of the five foreign films nominated for the Oscar will be made on Jan 15, 2015. The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

Speed Walking is set in 1970s Denmark and follows adolescent Martin, whose mother’s death in the lead up to his communion triggers a series of events that affects his small community.

Directed by Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), it is based on a novel by Morten Kirkskov and will premiere in Danish cinemas on 28 August. Thomas Heinesen has produced for Nordisk Film. 

Someone You Love debuted at this year’s Berline and picked up an audience award at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June.

Directed by Pernille Fischer Christensen, the film centres on a world famous singer-songwriter who returns to his native Denmark from LA to record a new album after burning all his bridges. Producers are Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Vinca Wiedemann for Zentropa.

Sorrow and Joy focusses on a couple who attempt to move on after the death of a child. It is based on a chapter from the life of director Nils Malmros, who also wrote the film. It premiered at Rome Film Festival in 2013. Thomas Heinesen produces for Nordisk Film.

All three films have received support from the Danish Film Institute. Trustnordisk is handling international sales on all three titles.

10 Years of Oscar / Danish Feature Films
By Awards Year

2014 The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg (Oscar nomination)
2013 A Royal Affair, Nikolaj Arcel (Oscar nomination)
2012 Superclásico, Ole Christian Madsen (Oscar shortlist)
2011 In a Better World, Susanne Bier (Oscar winner)
2010 Terribly Happy, Henrik Ruben Genz 
2009 Worlds Apart, Niels Arden Oplev 
2008 The Art of Crying, Peter Schønau Fog 
2007 After the Wedding, Susanne Bier (Oscar nomination)
2006 Adam’s Apples, Anders Thomas Jensen 
2005 The Five Obstructions, Jørgen Leth and Lars von Trier