21/02/2006

The sales arm of Scandinavian giant Svensk Filmindustri (SF) has taken international rights to Danish filmmaker Peter Schønau Fog’s upcoming feature debut, The Art of Crying. The Danish/Norwegian co-production is currently in post-production and might be ready for Cannes.

The 35 year-old director studied at the Danish Film School and his graduation short film, Lille Meanks, won the Grand Prix des Rencontres Internationales Henri Langlois in 2000. The Art of Crying is based on the best-selling novel by Danish writer Erling Jepsen adapted for the screen by Bo Hr. Hansen (Nordcraft.). Set in the 1960s, it tells the story of 11 year-old Allan whose dysfunctional family is falling apart under the tyranny of a self-pitying father. The only times when his father brightens up is when he holds moving funeral speeches that prompt synchronous crying among the mourners. Allan must ensure that there are enough funerals to keep his father’s spirits up and business going.

Denmark’s Thomas Stenderup (Final Cut Production) co-produced the film with Motlys Film of Norway. SF is handling theatrical distribution in the Nordic territories and sales in the rest of the world.

In Berlin, Ann-Kristin Westerberg, head of sales for SF International, was busy screening mostly children’s films at the market, such as the animated film Pettson & Findus: Pettson’s Promise, a Swedish/German/Danish co-production between Happy Life, TV Loonland and A Film. The adventures of old man Pettson and his cat Findus – which attracted some 200,000 fans in Sweden, 100,000 in Denmark and almost 50,000 in Finland last Christmas – was sold to Benelux (Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds), with deals pending for France and Spain.