Film Väst presented the films participating in the 68th Festival de Cannes and the new line-up of international and Swedish co-production for 2015 at their annual press conference in Cannes today.
Film Väst’s CEO Tomas Eskilsson welcomed everyone to the annual press conference in Cannes. He first presented the four co-produced films participating in this year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Romanian director Radu Muntean will compete for the third time in the section Un Certain Regard. This time with his film ONE FLOOR BELOW whose plot revolves around a middle-aged man who witnesses a neighborhood brawl that ends in murder. Radu Muntean presented his film along with producer Dragos Vilcu and the film’s Swedish co-producer Anna Croneman.

Debut director Magnus von Horn then presented his film THE HERE AFTER shown in Directors’ Fortnight. Behind the camera, he is joined by Łukasz Zal, Oscar-nominated earlier this year for “Best Achievement in Cinematography” for Ida (2013). In the role as the returning 17-year-old after serving a prison sentences, we see famous Swedish singer and songwriter Ulrik Munther who was also present at the press conference. In the supporting roles we see Mats Blomgren and Inger Nilsson among others. Producer is Madeleine Ekman at Zentropa International Sweden AB with support from the Swedish Film Institute, Polish Film Institute and Eurimage.

Director Sanna Lenken’s feature film MY SKINNY SISTER with debut actor Rebecka Josephson and Amy Deasismont in the leading roles was announced by Film Väst last year in Cannes. This year, the film appears in Écrans Juniors, a section that previously had Swedish films such as Sebbe (2010) and Flickan (2009). MY SKINNY SISTER earlier this year won a Crystal Bear for ”Best Film” in Generation Kplus at the Berlin Film Festival. On location in Cannes to present the film was producer Annika Rogell, Tangy who is also this year’s Producer on the Move. Behind the film stands also Fortune Cookie Film and Television with the support of the Swedish Film Institute.

Director Isabella Carbonell’s short film THE BOYS has been selected to The Semaine de la Critique in Cannes. The story probes the events around young sex offenders. In the lead role plays Sebastian Hiort af Ornäs that was Guldbagge-nominated for his role in Sebbe (2010). The screenplay was written by Isabel Carbonell along with Babak Najafi who also directed Sebbe and Easy Money II (2012). The film’s producers Jörgen Andersson and Kjell Åhlund were also present in Cannes.

Film Väst’s up-coming co-productions include Per Fly’s film about Dag Hammarskjöld and Daniél Espinosa’s film adaptation of Vilhelm Moberg’s bestselling novel The Emigrants, both announced earlier today in separate releases.

Further, the French director and screenwriter Gilles Marchand presented his psychological horror thriller DANS LA FORÊT. He has previously participated in the main section in Cannes with the films Black Heaven (2010) and Who killed Bambi? (2003). Furthermore, he wrote the screenplay of the films Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000) and Lemming (2005), both shown in the main competition in Cannes, the latter also as the opening film at the festival in 2005. The film’s Swedish co-producers attending was Christer Nilson and Frida Hallberg from GötaFilm. Shooting is expected to start in late summer 2015 in the Film Väst-region with expected premiere in 2016.

Producer Louise Vesth (Melancholia, A Royal Affair, Nyphomaniac, The Absent One) presented YOU DISSAPEAR, a diabolical, philosophical and romantic thriller based on Christian Junger’s bestselling novel. Peter Schønau Fog, who also directed the Danish Oscars-contribution Kunsten at græde i kor (2006), is director and scriptwriter. In the leading roles stars Trine Dyrholm and Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Several weeks of shooting is scheduled to Trollhättan.

Also from Zentropa producer Marie Gade Denessen (Nymphomaniac, I am here and others) presented her dance drama SECOND ACT directed by Birgitte Stærmose who also wrote the screenplay together with Kim Fupz Aakeson. The majority of the filming is scheduled to the Film Väst region.

Children’s film director and producer Linda Hambäck unveiled the new animated movie THE WORLD OF DOLORES & GUNELLEN after Pernilla Stalfelts popular books published in many countries. The animation is now underway at Dockhus Animation in Trollhättan and post-production is scheduled for autumn in Gothenburg. The premiere is in spring 2016.

Tomas Eskilsson rounded off the press conference telling about the completed studio shooting of Thomas Vinterberg’s THE COMMUNE in Trollhällan, Pernilla August’s THE SERIOUS GAME that is currently being filmed in Åmåls archipelago, UP IN THE BLUE directed by Petter Lennstrand to be shot this summer in Trollhättan, Vänersborg and Gothenburg and the shooting of debut director Fanni Meteliu’s movie I don’t want to get old now in Gothenburg this summer.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from 13th to 24th of May.

For interview requests and more information, please contact Camilla Nasiell, camilla.nasiell@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 720 65 63 or Stellan Forsberg, stellan.forsberg@mondayrelations.se, +46 70 763 97 66th

Photos: Erik Dalström