Unspooling from 12-19 December, France’s Les Arcs European Film Festival will this year focus on Norwegian cinema, with 14 features and a selection of shorts from the country in the main programme, Norwegian projects in the co-production/works-in-progress sessions, and Norwegian artists in the parallel three-day Music Village event.

“The focus on Norway will showcase the dynamic and eclectic cinematography of the country, as well as its great capacity to bring new talents to the European scene. It will combine works by seasoned filmmakers with more recent productions to enable audiences to discover the new generation of directors,” explained Frédéric Boyer, artistic director of the Les Arcs European Film Festival. 

“In a few years, Les Arcs has become an important European film festival and a gateway to the French market, so we are pleased that Norway is this year’s theme country,” said Stine Helgeland, executive director, promotion and international relations at the Norwegian Film Institute. “The programme will strengthen Norway’s position in France and our collaboration with the French film industry at all levels,” added the institute’s managing director, Sindre Guldvog.

Besides screening Norwegian films, the festival in the heart of the French Alps will include several Norwegian titles among the 25 entries for the Arc 1950 Coproduction Village, which is intended for European features in development and works in progress. The projects will be presented to 250 international film professionals between 12 and 15 December.