19/06/2014 - Both features by Norwegian directors Erik Poppe and Eskild Vogt are considered in seven categories for Norway’s national film prize

French actress Juliette Binoche and Irish actress Lauryn Canny, nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for A Thousand Times Goodnight

Norwegian director Erik Poppe’s A Thousand Times Good Night [+see also:
trailer
interview: Erik Poppe
film profile], starring French actress Juliette Binoche,and Eskil Vogt’s Blind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eskil Vogt
interview: Eskil Vogt
film profile], with Norwegian actress Ellen Dorrit Petersen in the lead, were both nominated for Best Film and in six other categories, when the four juries for Norway’s national prize yesterday (18 June) announced their favourite choices from 35 local film premieres between 1 July 2013-30 June 2014.

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A Thousand Times Good Night and Blind are contenders for Best Film (with Norwegian director Rasmus A Sivertsen’s The Christmas of Solan & Ludvig [+see also:
trailer
interview: Rasmus A. Sivertsen
film profile], also running for Best Children’s Film), and they are meeting head on in the competition for Best Director and Best Actress. The winners of the 30^th Amanda awards will be presented at a TV2 televised ceremony on 16 August from the Haugesund City Hall and the Rica Maritim Hall during the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund.

“Like last year, there were strong female parts - unlike last year there were many films for children and young audiences. In conclusion: we saw a lot of solid craftsmanship but we missed more films for adults with a broader appeal,” said jury chairwoman, Norwegian producer Bente Erichsen. “35 productions are probably too many for a small country like Norway, which is also reflected at the box office - several films produced outside the support system will definitely lose money.”

Ukranian-Norwegian actress Amrita Acharia signed the third Best Actress nom for I Am Yours [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], while Best Actor will go to Pål Sverre (Kon-Tiki [+see also:
film review
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film profile]), Aksel Hennie (Pioneer [+see also:
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film profile]) or Samakab Omar (One Night in Oslo). Considered in five categories, Mikkel Brænne Sandemose’s Ragnarok [+see also:
trailer
film profile] took the most technical nominations. Contenders for Best Foreign Film include Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is the Warmest Colour [+see also:
film review
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interview: Abdellatif Kechiche
film profile], Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al Mansour’s The Green Bicycle [+see also:
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film profile], Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty [+see also:
film review
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interview: Paolo Sorrentino
film profile], Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity [+see also:
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making of
film profile] and US director Alexander Payne’s Nebraska.