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OSCARS 2017 Sweden

A Man Called Ove will fight for an Oscar nomination

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- Also nominated for the People’s Choice Award at the EFAs, Hannes Holm’s local blockbuster has so far sold almost 1.8 million tickets in Sweden

A Man Called Ove will fight for an Oscar nomination
A Man Called Ove: Rolf Lassgård in the lead role of Hannes Holm’s candidate for an Oscar nomination

Swedish director Hannes Holm’s comedy-drama A Man Called Ove [+see also:
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, which was launched domestically last Christmas and has so far taken almost 1.8 million admissions, to become number three in the all-time charts, has been named as Sweden’s official candidate for the 2017 Oscar nominations for Best Foreign-language Film.

At a press conference at Sweden’s Film House, the Swedish Film Institute announced that Holm’s movie would join the Oscars race for Sweden. The US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will publish the nominations on 24 January 2017, and the awards ceremony will take place on 26 February.

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A Man Called Ove is a story about life, and it is recognisable everywhere where life is,” said Holm, thanking the jury, as well as all those who helped to make the movie and all those who saw it. “Together, they have created an amazing experience, and its selection as the Oscar nomination candidate has given it a chance to spread to even more people.” 

Adapted from Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s novel, which has been published in 30 countries (and is currently number two on the New York Times’ US bestsellers list after 34 weeks), A Man Called Ove follows a grumpy old man (played by Rolf Lassgård) who has given up on everyone, including himself, until his negative approach is put to the test by a new family who move in next door.

Produced by Annica Bellander and Nicklas Wikström Nicastro for Sweden’s Tre Vänner, with Swedish regional film centre Film VästNordisk Film and Swedish pubcaster SVTA Man Called Ove was distributed by Nordisk Film Sweden. Denmark’s TrustNordisk has sold it to more than 50 territories, including South Korea (Sidus), France (Paradis Films), Greece (Videorama) and Japan (Medallion Media).

The film was awarded the Guldbagges – Sweden’s national film prize – for Best Actor (Lassgård), Best Make-up (Love Larson and Eva von Bahr) and the Audience Award for Best Film. Already hoovering up prizes at Edinburgh and Seattle, it has also been nominated for the People’s Choice Award at the European Film Awards (read the news), which will take place in Wroclaw on 10 December. Music Box Films will release the title in more than 40 cities in the US in December.

Swedish films have been nominated for the Best Foreign-language Film Oscar 14 times; the last time was 12 years ago, when Kay Pollak’s As It Is in Heaven [+see also:
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made it through to the shortlist, and it was 33 years ago that Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander actually won the statuette.

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