The 10th Anniversary SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL L.A. January 10, 11, 17, 18 marks a decade of Nordic film “In residence” at the Writers Guild Theater (135 S. Doheny/at Wilshire in Beverly Hills) for the festival’s annual "weigh-in" during L.A.’s peak winter film season prior to Oscar nominations. The festival focuses on work of Nordic filmmakers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden including Nordic Oscar contenders, additional current features, and a sampling of shorts and documentaries.
"We’ve been called the place ‘where Nordic film winters in Southern California’." says festival Founder/Director Jim Koenig. "Eager to see the latest in 'Northern lights, camera, action’, our devoted audience of film lovers, industry professionals, and Nordic ex-pats have also witnessed six Academy Award ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ nominations and several nominations and wins in other categories. Whether King ‘Oscar’ is in the picture or not– Nordic films are captivating audiences all over the globe. There are around eight hundred films made in Europe each year. Eighty of those films are from the Nordic countries! That’s 10% of all European film.
" This is our chance in the ‘film capital’ of the world– to show what the fuss is all about.”
The festival has become an important annual opportunity for Hollywood to keep up with what’s going on in Scandinavian film. Nordic film makers in both Europe and working in the United States have enjoyed the fertile networking and "introduction" opportunities the festival affords. Certainly there are festivals—big ones—that include Nordic films. But the focus of our festival—with a program that offers an annual immersion into the world of Nordic film offers unique opportunities for devotees of international cinema, European cinema, and Nordic film.
“Each year, as well as in the ‘big picture’ of a decade, audiences have a chance to compare, contrast, watch talent develop and top talent emerge. It’s like watching the cream rise to the top.” Says Koenig “Our comprehensive course in Nordic cinema has a syllabus that spans a decade. We’ve seen a lot—some entertaining but disposable, some profound and enduring.”
Highlighting the festival’s first weekend program are Nordic “Oscar” submissions:
White Night Wedding from Iceland,
Home of Dark Butterflies from Finland,
World’s Apart from Denmark, and
Everlasting Moments from Sweden. The second weekend includes Norwegian blockbuster
Long Flat Balls II, Danish film “
Dancers,”
Country Wedding from Iceland,
Involuntary and
Heaven’s Heart from Sweden, and
The Kautokeino Rebellion from Norway. The program includes a number of shorts scattered throughout the festival’s run.
Parent organization of Scandinavian Film Festival is the American Scandinavian Foundation of Los Angeles. Support for the festival includes individuals, organizations, and corporate sponsorship.
The Danish Film Institute has been a major sponsor since the festival began with the assistance of the Swedish Film Institute, the
Norwegian Film Institute, the
Finnish Film Foundation, and the
Icelandic Film Centre with the support of the national consulates. The festival welcomes
ELMA—European Languages and Movies in America as a major sponsor this year, joining the
American Scandinavian Foundation of Los Angeles, SWEA and others in the effort to offer Nordic/European film culture to the Los Angeles/Hollywood cultural scene.
A new web-site developed by Monk Media offers information on the ten years of the festival, donor opportunities, the complete schedule, and ticket ordering information please go to the
festival's site. The opening night gala features a traditional buffet by “Taste is everything…custom catering and event planning” before the evening film with a champagne/dessert table afterwards. Box office is open daily before festival days at 323 661 4273 and at the Writers Guild Theater 135 S. Doheny (just south of Wilshire) in Beverly Hills on Festival days.
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