The 15th edition of Copenhagen's NatFilm Festival willkick off with the premiere of acclaimed actress Paprika Steen's featuredirecting debut, Aftermath, on Mar 25.

The drama about a couple trying to recover from the death oftheir child has already picked up considerable buzz and expectations are high.

Aftermath is writtenby Kim Fupz Aakeson (In Your Hands, Okay) and stars Sofie Graaboel and Mikael Birkkjaer.

At the opening gala the festival will as usual present itsNatsvaermer Award and $4,100 (DKR25.000) to a young talent in Danish film.Previous winners include Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg and Per Fly.

The ten day event, which for the second time unspools bothin the Danish capital and in southern Sweden in Malmoe and Lund, wraps on Apr 4before heading off on a national tour from Apr 7-11.

The packed programme features some 145 features anddocumentaries including a number of the most talked about titles from therecent Berlin Film Festival, including Patty Jenkins' Monster, Hans Petter Moland's The BeautifulCountry and Bjoern Runge's Daybreakwhich closes the proceedings on Apr 4.

At this year's closing gala, the festival for thefirst time hands out two awards. The new critics' award goes to afilmmaker, whose first or second film screens at the festival, who receives$4,000, and as usual the Danish Film Institute hands out an Audience Award of$20,000 to a film without a distribution deal in Denmark. The money goes to adistributor who has to use it to release the film. Indian films have won thisaward two years running, first

Lagaan then Devdas.

The NatFilm Festival is the biggest film event in Denmarkwith some 40.000 admissions.