Danish international sales agent TrustNordisk is preparing a robust and wide-ranging slate for the 76th Berlinale (12-22 February) and the accompanying European Film Market (EFM, 12-18 February). The line-up spans prestige drama, genre-driven titles, animation and documentary, with several completed films screening for buyers alongside high-profile projects in post-production and financing.

Leading the market screenings is Frank & Louis, the first English-language feature by Swiss filmmaker Petra Volpe, which premiered recently at the Sundance Film Festival. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and Rob Morgan, the film unfolds inside a US prison, where an inmate sentenced to life, who is caring for elderly prisoners with Alzheimer’s and dementia, forms an unexpected bond that offers a chance at redemption. The drama continues Volpe’s exploration of socially resonant environments, following the success of Late Shift [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Petra Volpe
scheda film], which premiered at the Berlinale last year.

Also screening at the market is Kraken, the Norwegian monster action film by Pål Øie (The Tunnel [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film]). Set in the depths of Norway’s longest fjord, the movie follows a marine biologist investigating deadly events linked to a mythical sea creature of colossal proportions (see the news). Produced by Nordisk Film Production, Kraken has already secured multiple international distribution deals ahead of its local release in February.

The family and animation sector is represented by Unstoppable, a Norwegian 3D animated feature directed by Martin Lund (Psychobitch [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]). Set inside the human body, the film follows a young cell embarking on a perilous journey of self-discovery and courage. Produced by Storm Films with animation by nWave Wallonie and character design by Grangel Studios, the film is currently in production and will also be introduced to buyers at the Marché du Film in Cannes.

In terms of documentaries, TrustNordisk is showcasing The Talented Mr. F. by German filmmaker Igor Plischke. The film follows two young directors who discover that their animated short has been stolen and rebranded by an impostor in the USA, triggering a transatlantic quest for the truth. Produced by Neue Flimmer and executive-produced by Roland Emmerich, the documentary made its market debut at the American Film Market. Meanwhile, Danish projects include Home [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by debutante Marijana Janković, depicting a Yugoslav family’s struggle to rebuild their lives in Denmark (see the news), and The Last Resort by Maria Sødahl, a moral drama set against the deceptively relaxed backdrop of a family holiday, which was the winner of Best Nordic Film at Göteborg (see the news).

Among the upcoming titles, Woman, Unknown by May el-Toukhy (Queen of Hearts [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gustav Lindh
intervista: May el-Toukhy
scheda film], The Crown) is in post-production. The Danish drama centres on a young woman whose carefully constructed social ascent through marriage is threatened by a secret from her past (see the news). Another Norwegian project in post-production is Vampyr by Arild Fröhlich (Fatso, Wisting), a thriller inspired by Edvard Munch, blending psychological tension with a murder mystery that challenges accepted historical narratives (see the news).

TrustNordisk’s slate also includes Unraveled by Pernille Fischer Christensen (Becoming Astrid [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Alba August
intervista: Pernille Fischer Christensen
scheda film]), which explores memory, denial and power dynamics as a former elite swimmer revisits her past following the publication of a controversial novel (see the news). Amanda Kernell (Charter [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Amanda Kernell
scheda film], Sámi Blood [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Amanda Kernell
intervista: Lars Lindstrom
scheda film]) returns with Brace Your Heart, a Sámi-language drama set in northern Sweden, where a young woman inheriting a reindeer herd must confront love, jealousy and trauma in a tightly knit community (see the news). Swedish director Rojda Sekersöz (Beyond Dreams [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Evin Ahmad
scheda film], My Life as a Comedian [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gizem Erdogan
scheda film]) presents Will You Care If I Die?, adapted from Nicolas Lunabba’s autobiographical book, following the fragile relationship between a youth worker and a troubled teenager with exceptional basketball talent (see the news).

Amongst the upcoming projects is Good Mothers by Amalie Næsby Fick, set in a quiet suburban community destabilised by allegations of sexual assault involving teenage boys, starring Sidse Babett Knudsen, Sofie Gråbøl and Asta Kamma August (see the news). Rounding off the slate is My Fairytale Life, a large-scale biographical drama by Nikolaj Arcel (The Promised Land [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], A Royal Affair [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Nikolaj Arcel
scheda film]), currently in financing, which reimagines the early life of Hans Christian Andersen as a fierce battle for artistic recognition in 19th-century Copenhagen (see the news).