News from Film i Väst in Cannnes
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At a press lunch in Cannes, Scandinavia’s biggest film fund Film i Väst presented several new films, and this year’s Cannes lineup. At the event, CEO Mikael Fellenius presented three new initiatives which will keep Film i Väst at the forefront of film funds. Peter Possne, Head of Productions, presented a selection of the 29 feature films and 14 TV drama currently in production and development at Film i Väst.
– At Film i Väst, we’re very proud co-producers of the opening films at both Cannes and Berlin this year. We’re delighted that so many of the world’s leading filmmakers are choosing Film i Väst as a partner , says Mikael Fellenius , CEO of Film i Väst.
Film i Väst Co-Productions in the Festival de Cannes 2019
Opening film, In competition: Jim Jarmusch’s THE DEAD DON’T DIE
In competition: Corneliu Porumboiu’s THE WHISTLERS
Semane de la Critique : Hlynur Pálmason’s A WHITE, WHITE DAY
Climate consultant
With a keen awareness of the global climate challenges, Film i Väst are retaining climate consultant Ronny Fritsche , to ensure that productions are sustainable and to further educate filmmakers, partners and the industry.
– We think it’s really important to do our part in fighting against climate change. By retaining a climate consultant, we’ll be able to offer hands-on advise to our production partners, and make sure we’re always using best practices , says Mikael Fellenius , CEO of Film i Väst.
Production rebates
While Sweden doesn’t currently offer production rebates, Film i Väst has launched a rebate program for international co-productions, on behalf of Region Västra Götaland. The first project is the TV show IRENE HUSS REBOOT, which starts shooting this summer.
Nostradamus
By stepping in as a main sponsor of the annual forecasting report Nostradamus, which is produced by the Göteborg Film Festival, Film i Väst will be able to offer partners invaluable insights into the future of film production and marketing.
UPCOMING FILMS
Ruben Östlund , TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Following up the Oscar® nominated Palme d’Or winner The Square , Östlund is back with his trademark surrealist comedy, this time looking at what happens when hierarchies are turned upside down on a shipwrecked cruise ship.
Production company: Plattform Produktion
Tarik Saleh (untitled)
A thriller starring Fares Fares ( The Nile Hilton Incident, Vikings ) set in a religious university, a hidden world within a world that has never been visited by a camera, blurring the line between fiction and reality. In development with support from the Swedish Film Institute and the Creative Europe Media Programme. Production company: Atmo.
Sally Potter (untitled)
A masterful and touching chronicle of a wild day in the life of a man on the edge, held together by the unconditional love of his daughter starring Javier Bardem , Elle Fanning , Salma Hayek , Chris Rock and Laura Linney . The film was developed by BBC Films and the British Film Institute and is funded by HanWay Films, Bleecker Street, BBC Films, the British Film Institute, Film i Väst and Ingenious Media. Production company: Adventure Pictures
Patrick Hughes , THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD
A follow-up to the hit 2017 comedy action-thriller The Hitman’s Bodyguard, starring Ryan Reynolds , Samuel L. Jackson , Salma Hayek and Morgan Freeman .
Production companies: Millennium and Campbell Grobman Films.
David Sandberg , KUNG FURY 2
The original Kung Fury was screened in Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes 2015, and got 10 million views on YouTube withing three days. The sequel stars Michael Fassbender , Arnold Schwarzenegger och Eiza Gonzalez. Production companies: Laser Unicorns, B-Reel Films and KatzSmith Productions.
Valdimar Jóhannsson, THE LAMB
Noomi Rapace returns to her first Scandinavian role after a string of English-language hits, as the lead in the supernatural Icelandic tale.
Linda Hambäck , THE APE STAR
An animated feature featuring Stellan Skarsgård , from a script adapted by screenwriter Janne Vierth ( Gordon & Paddy , Rita and Crocodile ) based on Frida Nilsson’s novel.
Production company: LEE Film
Ninja Thyberg , JESSICA
Ninja Thyberg’s debut feature Jessica tells the story of a young Swedish woman who travels to Los Angeles hoping to become a porn star. Starring performers from the adult industry, it’s a film about ambition, sacrifice and feminism. Ninja Thyberg’s short Pleasure won the Canal+ Award at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes 2013, and she won the Student Visionary Award at Tribeca with Catwalk 2015. Production company: Plattform Produktion.
For more information, please contact Ulrika Grönérus, Communications Manager, (ulrika.gronerus@filmivast.se, +46-708-643736) or Petra Kauraisa (petra@kauraisa.com). Photos: Gus Kaage Film i Väst
About Film i Väst
Film i Väst co-productions have received twelve Palme d’Or nominations and two wins, including THE SQUARE (Ruben Östlund) and DANCER IN THE DARK (Lars von Trier). Last year the co-production BORDER (Ali Abbasi) won Un Certain Regard. Over the past decade, Film i Väst has presented over 100 films in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and Sundance.
Since 2011, Film i Väst co-productions have received ten Oscar® nominations, including winner IN A BETTER WORLD (Susanne Bier), and nominees THE WIFE (Björn Runge, starring Glenn Close), A ROYAL AFFAIR (Nikolaj Arcel, starring Alicia Vikander) and ONLY GOD FORGIVES (Nicolas Winding Refn).