On Monday evening, the 2nd annual Nordic Film Festival kicked off at Ciné Utopia in Luxembourg-Limbertsberg with the Finnish comedy 21 tapaa pilata avioliitto/ 21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage which gave the festival a high-tempo start.
Prior to the screening, Finland's Ambassador to Luxembourg, Timo Ranta, spoke about the joy of cinema and the state of the film business in Finland which sees a high proportion of domestic productions on the big screens. Geoff Thompson, Festival Organiser, thanked the sponsors, guests and volunteers and declared the festival open.
The 2nd annual Nordic Film Festival takes place from Monday 8 June to Friday 12 June 2015, with a line-up that includes six films from the five Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. All films are new and have not been screened until now in Luxembourg, and all are being screened in their original language with English sub-titles. This makes them accessible to all Nordic residents of the Grand Duchy and Greater Region, as well as the wider cinema-going public.
The films are all being screened at Ciné Utopia in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg. This year there is a stronger emphasis on comedy, enabling the organisers to show first-hand that there is a lot more to Nordic cinema than just crime, political and psychological dramas.
The Nordic Film Festival features both independently produced films and those from established production houses, giving Luxembourg’s diverse and cosmopolitan cinema-going public the chance to see both established stars as well as up-and-coming actors from the Nordic countries, often in co-productions involving other countries.
Audience Award
The Audience Award at the Nordic Film Festival 2015 is an opportunity for the cinema-going public to be directly involved in the event. This will apply to the first five films being screened, with those attending voting on the films, with the winning film announced at the Closing Screening on Friday 12 June.
In addition, one of the voting slips will be drawn after the 5th film screening on 11 June, with the winner invited to attend the Closing Screening, at which he/she will be presented with a Luxair voucher for 2 return tickets to Stockholm.
PROGRAMME
Mon 8 June @ 19:00 @ Ciné Utopia: 21 tapaa pilata avioliitto/ 21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage (FI; romantic comedy; preceded by opening speeches and followed by reception)
Tue 9 June @ 19:00 (doors open 19:15) @ Ciné Utopia: Fasandræberne / The Absent One (DK; crime thriller)
Wed 10 June @ 21:15 @ Ciné Utopia: En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron / A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (SE; comedy drama)
Thu 11 June @ 19:00 @ Ciné Utopia: Ófeigur gengur aftur / Spooks and Spirits (IS; family comedy), followed by Q&A session with director Ágúst Guðmundsson, moderated by Geoff Thompson
Thu 11 June @ 21:00 @ Ciné Utopia: Vonarstræti / Life in a Fishbowl (IS; drama)
Fri 12 June @ 21:15 @ Ciné Utopia: Kraftidioten / In Order of Disappearance (NO; black comedy) - preceded by Audience Award.
See www.nordicfilmfestival.lu for further details. Tickets: €8.80 can be purchased at the venues prior to screenings.
