26/05/2010

During the recent Cannes Market, Celluloid Dreams picked up international rights to the Norwegian action film Norwegian Ninja (Kommandør Treholt & Ninjatroppen) by first-time filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling.

The film will be offered to world buyers as part of the sales company’s new genre label Celluloid Nightmares, set up with LA-based XYZ Films. The new label is run by former Imagination Worldwide sales executive Travis Stevens from XYZ’s office.

Commenting on the deal with Celluloid’s managing director Hengameh Panahi, Norwegian Ninja producer Eric Vogel (Tordenfilm) said: “This is absolutely wild. Their offer came immediately after we had shown a few scenes from the film. It means a lot for us to have a major international sales company attached to our small Norwegian ‘ninja’ movie”.

The action film is inspired by the true story of Arne Treholt, a Norwegian diplomat who was convicted of espionage on behalf of Russia and Iraq during the Cold War. It stars Mads Ousdal (Through a Glass, Darkly [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Jon Øigarden (Detektor), Terje Strømdahl Troubled Water [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Henrik Horge (Max Manus [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

Norwegian Ninja was produced by Tordenfilm (The Bothersome Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jens Lien
interview: Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
film profile]) with support from the Norwegian Film Institute, Film Fond Fuzz and Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Euforia Film will release it in Norway on August 13, 2010.

Other films on Celluloid Nightmares’ line-up include Simon Rumley’s Red, White & Blue and the Colombian political thriller Saluda al diablo de mi parte (“Say Hello to the Devil For Me”).