11/08/2023 - Unspooling over four days, the foremost Norwegian industry event will take place in Haugesund, encompassing the full spectrum of significant trends within regional cinema

Running during the 51^st Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund (19-25 August), New Nordic Films will once again showcase the latest trends from the region, running from 22-25 August. The 29^th edition of the market will host professionals from the industry, featuring an array of market screenings, work-in-progress presentations, developmental projects, as well as a variety of seminars and workshops.

A total of 16 selected titles are being featured in the market screenings that will open with Fallen Leaves [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Aki Kaurismäki, and the lead actor Jussi Vatanen will be attending. Among the new titles four come from Norway: Nils Gaup’s historical action drama The Riot [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (read the news), the refugee drama A Happy Day by Hisham Zaman, the political dramedy Listen Up! by newcomer Kaveh Tehrani, and the road trip film Practice by debutant Laurens Pérol. From Finland, award-winning filmmaker Saara Cantell presents Siblings which was shot over the course of eight years, while debutant director and Nordic Talents winner Kaisa El Ramly brings Getaways & Dreams, a story about encounters, collisions, and awakenings (read the news). From Iceland, Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon (Mihkel [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pääru Oja
film profile]) brings his sophomore feature Epilogue which tells the story of an 85-year-old man who has recently lost his wife, and Solitude by debutant Ninna Pálmadóttir, whose plot revolves around Jón, an elderly farmer who is forced to leave his farm behind (read the news).

A total of 12 projects in post-production have been selected to be presented on Thursday 24 August as works-in-progress. Some of the highlights included in the selection are The Abyss, the first Swedish large-scale disaster movie starring Tuva Novotny, directed by Richard Holm (read the news); Better Times, the directorial debut of Iranian-born Danish screenwriter Milad Avaz (While We Live [+see also:
trailer
film profile]); and In This Very Moment, the latest work by Norwegian filmmaker Marte Vold (Letters [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), which was filmed from 2008-2023 and portrays an Oslo-based middle-class couple.

Furthermore, Swedish film director Baker Karim (Glacier [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) returns with Kadzo, which follows a small-time drug dealer who meets a young escort in Mombasa; award-winning Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud (Beware of Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dag Johan Haugerud
film profile]) presents Sex, Dreams and Love, a trilogy exploring sexuality, longing and transgression in modern Nordic society (read the news); while the highly anticipated period film Stormskerry Maja, based on a series of beloved novels and directed by Finland’s Tiina Lymi (Happier Times, Grump [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), is also among the selected projects.

Here is the complete selection of the Works in Progress titles:

The Abyss - Richard Holm (Sweden/Finland/Belgium/Spain)
Producer: Joakim Hansson (SF Studios)
Co-producers: Filmpool Nord, Mjölk Movies, Umedia, Seven Islands Film

Back to Earth - Mariken Halle (Norway)
Producers: Mariken Halle, Marius Mork, Guro Brusgaard, Katja Eyde Jacobsen (Alternativet Production)

Better Times - Milad Avaz (Denmark)
Producer: Misam Avaz (Forty Five Films)

Biru Unjárga - Egil Pedersen (Norway/Finland/Sweden)
Producer: Aleksander Olai Korsnes (Rein Film Finnmark AS, Paasan AS)
Co-producers: Oktoberfilm, Bautafilm

Handling the Undead - Thea Hvistendahl (Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Greece)
Producers: Kristin Emblem, Guri Neby (Einar Film)
Co-producers: Zentropa, Nordisk Film, Filmiki

In This Very Moment - Marte Vold (Norway)
Producer: Elisa Fernanda Pirir (Stær)

Kadzo - Baker Karim (Sweden/Kenya)
Producers: Olivier Guerpillon, Helene Hillerström Miksche (Bad Flamingo Studios)
Co-producer: Zamaradi Productions

The Last Paradise on Earth - Sakaris Fríði Stórá (Denmark/Faroe Islands)
Producer: Jón Hammer (Adomeit Film)
Co-producer: Kykmyndir

Sex Dreams Love Trilogy - Dag Johan Haugerud (Norway)
Producers: Hege Hauff Hvattum, Yngve Sæther (Motlys)

Stormskerry Maja - Tiina Lymi (Finland)
Producers: Hanna Virolainen, Markus Selin, Jukka Helle (Solar Film)

Unsinkable - Christian Andersen (Denmark)
Producers: Hanna Rosland, Jesper Jørgensen, Kim Magnusson (Wasabifilm)

Viktoria Must Go - Gunnbjörg Gunnarsdottir (Norway)
Producer: Ole Marius Elvestad (På Film)
Co-producer: Handmade Films in Norwegian Woods