Denmark shortlists three films for 2013 Oscar candidate

by Jorn Rossing Jensen

21/08/2012 - The Danish Oscar Committee will on September 18 announce the Danish candidate for the 2013 Oscar as Best Foreign-Language Feature from a shortlist of three titles, including Nikolaj Arcel's A Royal Affair [trailer, film focus] (photo), Susanne Bier's Love Is All You Need [trailer] and Bille August's Marie Krøyer [trailer]. Two of the directors filmed previous Danish Academy Awards winners: Bier (In a Better World [trailer] (2011)) and August (for Pelle the Conqueror (1989)).

A Royal Affair was launched at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won Silver Bears for Best Original Screenplay (Arcel, Rasmus Heisterberg) and Best Actor (Mikkel Boe Følgsaard). The Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Louise Vesth and Meta Foldager production for Zentropa Entertainments has so far taken 530,000 admissions in the Danish cinemas. It has most recently grossed €500,000 – more than any other Danish-language film – for Metrodome Distribution in the UK.

Love Is All You Need - Bier’s first romantic comedy since local blockbuster, The One and Only – is the first Danish film in 22 years to be selected for the main programme at the Venice International Film Festival (between August 29-September 8). Scripted with Anders Thomas Jensen (also her co-writer of In A Better World), the Vibeke Windeløv-Sisse Graum Jørgensen production for Zentropa Entertainments starring Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm will open in Denmark on September 6.

Marie Krøyer, which will be launched domestically on September 27, is another love affair – not so royal, but almost: between Danish painters Peder Severin Krøyer and Marie Triepcke Krøyer in 1889-1905, with Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén as the third party. With Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Søren Sætter-Lassen and Sverrir Gudnason in the leads, the Karin Trolle-Signe Leick Jensen production for SF Film was scripted by Peter Asmussen.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards on January 15, and the ceremony itself will take place on February 24.