01/08/2006

Jacob Thuesen (Accused), Michael Hegner (I’m a Fish), Jannik Johansen (Stealing Rembrandt) and Giacomo Campeotto (Nasty Brats [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) have just received support from the Danish Film Institute for their latest feature film productions, for a total amount of DKK 26.86m (€3.6m). Thuesen is taking over the directing seat previously held by Lone Scherfig on Erik Nietzsche -The Early Years. The project is based on the personal experience of scriptwriter Nietzsche as a former student at the National Film School of Denmark in the late 1970s. It’s the story of a shy young man who enters a world of angry, unhelpful tutors, weird fellow students, and initially struggles with depression until he gradually becomes involved in that world and falls in love.

The script had already received a DKK 80,000 support from the DFI and has now been awarded DKK 7.42m towards its production, handled by Sisse Graun Jørgensen and Marie Gade for Zentropa. The film will start shooting in the new year and is being sold by Trust Film Sales.

Michael Hegner, head of CGI at Scandinavia’s biggest animation studio A Film, is teaming up with fellow Finn, director Kari Juusonen, on the 3D family animated film The Way to the Stars. The story of a young reindeer looking for his father, whom he believes to be one of of Santa’s flying squad, is a €6m project produced in Finland by Animaker, in co-production with Denmark’s A Film, Ireland’s Magma Films and Germany’s Ulysses. fellow The project was awarded €402,000 as part of the DFI’s 60/40 co-production fund. The film will be released in Denmark by Nordisk Film at Christmas 2008.

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