07/05/2025 - The Danish sales agent will introduce to the market a varied slate that includes the new films by Petra Volpe, Amanda Kernell and Paprika Steen, among others

Actors Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan and René Pérez Joglar and director Petra Volpe during the shoot of Frank & Louis (© Ali Painter)

Danish international sales agent TrustNordisk is bringing a handful of films to Cannes’ Marché du Film (13-21 May). Among these, the slate features a mix of impactful dramas, dramedies, animated features, and a series, showcasing a diverse selection of compelling stories for the international market, with some making their market premieres.

TrustNordisk is introducing Frank & Louis (working title), the English-language debut by Swiss-Italian director Petra Volpe, currently in production. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan and rapper-singer René Pérez Joglar (Residente), the drama centres on a man serving a life sentence who takes on the role of caregiver for fellow inmates suffering from memory loss. The film is produced by Switzerland’s Zodiac Pictures, in co-production with UK's Caspian Films, SRF and SRG SSR. TrustNordisk is also organising market screenings for Volpe’s latest film, Berlinale Special entry Late Shift [+see also:
film review
interview: Petra Volpe
film profile], starring Leonie Benesch.

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Among the newest additions to TrustNordisk’s slate is Brace Your Heart, the latest drama by Sámi-Swedish filmmaker Amanda Kernell (Charter [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amanda Kernell
film profile], Sami Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Amanda Kernell
interview: Lars Lindstrom
film profile]). Set in a remote Sámi village high in the Scandinavian mountains, the story follows 20-year-old Ejva, who inherits her late father’s reindeer herd and faces pressure from the community to accept a romantic proposal from local leader Heaika. Starring Elli Sara Valkeapää, Vincent Niia, and Andte Gaup-Juuso, the film is also produced by Nordisk Film and is currently in production.

Another standout title is To New Beginnings, the fifth directorial effort by acclaimed Danish actress Paprika Steen. The film follows a close-knit group of friends whose long-standing dynamics are upended during a New Year’s Eve gathering, as the arrival of a new partner exposes buried tensions and unspoken grief. Also produced by Nordisk Film, the film stars Tuva Novotny, Anders W. Berthelsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Christian Tafdrup and Lars Brygmann and is currently in post-production.

Also featured is The Murder of Benjamin, a drama based on the true story of 15-year-old Benjamin Hermansen, whose racially motivated murder in 2001 shocked Norway and ignited nationwide protests against xenophobia. Directed by Ingvild Søderlind and co-written with Helena Johanne Nielsen, the film explores themes of identity, belonging, and systemic neglect through the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator. Produced by Thomas Robsahm (The Worst Person in the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile]) for Nordisk Film, the film stars Elikem Leon Akpan, Magnús Blöndal Jóhannsson, and Laila Goody, and is currently in post-production.

TrustNordisk will also present Unstoppable, a visually striking 3D animated feature directed by Martin Lund (The Almost Man [+see also:
film review
film profile]). This epic adventure inside the human body follows Kaya, a determined cell on a journey of self-discovery and survival. Produced by Storm Films, with animation by nWave Wallonie and character design by Grangel Studios (Kung Fu Panda, The Prince of Egypt), Unstoppable is currently in production with an English-speaking voice cast.

TrustNordisk’s wider market slate features a diverse selection of upcoming projects, including The Last Viking, a dark comedy by Anders Thomas Jensen, starring Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas (read news), action-thriller Kraken by Pål Øie (read news) and Christoffer Boe's new effort Special Unit – The First Murder (read news).

The slate also includes Mari Storstein’s My First Love (read news), The Last Resort by Maria Sødahl (Hope [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maria Sødahl
film profile]), a poignant family drama exploring the fragile balance between trust and risk when helping a stranger; and Home by Marijana Janković, a portrayal of the immigrant experience, focusing on the strained relationship between a young woman and her parents as they adapt to life in Denmark. Rounding out the lineup is the series My Brother, adapted from Karin Smirnoff’s bestselling novel, a mystery-thriller following a woman unraveling disturbing family secrets and a dangerously entangled romance.

Finally, TrustNordisk will host a market screening for CPH:DOX’s NORDIC:DOX Competition entry Fighter, by Sunniva Sundby and Mari Bakke Riise.