11/02/2006

Nordisk Film International Sales executive Susan Wendt is starting the Berlin market with great enthusiasm: the Swedish children`s film Percy, Buffalo Bill And I by Anders Gustaffson about a young boy`s summer adventures will have its first official screening today at the Kinderfilmfest, and nine other Nordic films on its catalogue will screen at the market.

Nordisk’s new English language film Johnny Was, a gangster Irish-UK-Danish coproduction by UK director Mark Hammond is at the top of its sales line-up and has its world premiere at the market. The multi-racial thriller starring Vinnie Jones and Patrick Bergin has already been pre-sold to the Benelux (indies Entertainment), Brazil and Turkey.

The Danish children`s film The Lost Treasure Of the Nights Templar by Kasper Barfoed which opened very strongly in Denmark last week with over 20.000 admissions, is another strong title on Nordisk`s slate. Produced by M & M Productions (Adam´s Apples [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anders Thomas Jensen
interview: Mads Mikkelsen
interview: Tivi Magnusson
film profile]), the film received rave reviews in the Danish press and was described as the “Da Vinci Code” for children.

The Finnish entry for a Foreign language Oscar which performed strongly in Finland (180.000 admissions) and in Sweden (over 100.000 admissions) continues to attract a lot of interest from foreign buyers according to Susan Wendt and deals are almost closed for France and Germany.

Although comedies usually do not travel very well for Wendt, another local hit in Finland, FC Venus by Joona Tena should be able to sell briskly at the time of the world Football Cup and the German version of the film will be ready in April.
For Wendt, the European Film Market under its new roof feels very busy. In fact, "it`s never been as busy for us during the first few days of the market" she told Cineuropa. "It is very promising for the rest of the market with lots of professionals around. A lot of people were afraid that the various market venues, screening rooms and Berlinale would be too spread out, but it´s actually not bad at all", she said.