One of the strongest players in the international festival circuit, Toronto International Film Festival has officially announced Norwegian PIONEER and Swedish WE ARE THE BEST! as a part of their upcoming line-up.
Erik Skjoldberg's high-octane conspiracy thriller PIONEER, produced by Friland Film, who was also behind HEADHUNTERS (2011) and acclaimed director Lukas Moodysson´s 7th feature about three outsiders in 1980´s Stockholm, WE ARE THE BEST! will both screen in the Special Presentation section, which is defined as "High-profile premieres and the world's leading filmmakers".
CEO TrustNordisk, Rikke Ennis: "The selection of Skjoldberg's PIONEER and Moodysson's WE ARE THE BEST! shows that the very best of Nordic directors have a great audience out there. We can't wait to introduce these films to the international market".
Toronto International Film Festival takes place during September 5-15. CEO Rikke Ennis, Head of Sales Susan Wendt and Sales Managers Nicolai Korsgaard and Silje Glimsdal will be attending.
PIONEER
Early 80's, at the beginning of the Norwegian Oil Boom. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters. A professional diver, Petter, obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world's most dangerous mission. But a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who's pulling the strings. Gradually he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake.
Inspired by 70's classics such as THE CONVERSATION (1974), THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) and CHINATOWN (1974), PIONEER stars Aksel Hennie (HEADHUNTERS, 2011), Wes Bentley (THE HUNGER GAMES, 2012), Stephen Lang (AVATAR, 2009), are Stephanie Sigman (MISS BALA, 2011), Others starring in PIONEER are Jonathan LaPaglia (NCSI, 2003; COLD CASE, 2003-2010) along with Andre Eriksen, Jørgen Langhelle, Ane Dahl Torp, Eirik Stubø and David A. Jørgensen.
Director Erik Skjoldbærg gained international acclaim with his debut feature film INSOMNIA (1997), which sold to over 20 countries and later remade in Hollywood by director Christopher Nolan. In 2001 Skjoldbærg directed the American feature film PROZAC NATION.
The film is produced by Christian Fredrik Martin from Friland Film. Co-producers are Pandora Filmproduktion, Garagefilm International AB, Film i Väst, Les Films d'Antoine, MRP Matila Röhr Productions and Nordisk Film. The film is supported by Eurimages, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Filmstiftung NRW, Filmförderung HSH, Norwegian Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, CNC - Aide aux Films en Langue Etrangère and MEDIA.
Distributors on board for PIONEER are so far Magnolia Pictures (US), Arrow Films Ltd (UK), Benelux (Lumiere), Japan (Nettai Museum Ltd.) and Korea (Focus & Company), Vertigo Media (Hungary) and Stars Media International (Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia). Domestic distributor is Nordisk Film.
International publicist for PIONEER at TIFF: ClutchPR / daniela@clutchpr.com / +1 416-319-3511 / www.clutchpr.com
WE ARE THE BEST!
Written and directed by Lukas Moodysson and based on a graphic novel by Coco Moodysson, WE ARE THE BEST! tells a humourous story about three outsiders in 80's Stockholm. Moodysson has previously stated that his intention with WE ARE THE BEST! is to make a film full of fun, hope and vitality.
WE ARE BEST! is a film about Bobo, Klara and Hedvig. Three 13-year-old girls who roam the streets. Who are brave and tough and strong and weak and confused and weird. Who have to take care of themselves way too early. Who heat fish fingers in the toaster when mom is at the pub. Who start a punk band without any instruments, even though everybody says that punk is dead.
WE ARE THE BEST! stars newcomers Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne in the main roles as Bobo, Klara and Hedvig while supporting roles are played by e.g. David Dencik, Johan Liljemark, Anna Rydgren and Mattias Wiberg.
Lukas Moodysson burst onto the international scene with his debut feature, the award-winning film FUCKING ÅMÅL (SHOW ME LOVE) in 1998. SHOW ME LOVE was followed by TOGETHER (2000), LILYA 4-EVER (2002) and MAMMOTH (2009), the latter was selected for Official Competition at Berlin International Film Festival in 2009.
WE ARE THE BEST! is produced by Lars Jönsson for Memfis Film, co-produced by Film I Väst, SVT and Zentropa in co-operation with Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and with support from the Swedish Film Institute, The Danish Film Institute and Nordisk Film and TV Fond.
Distributors on board so far are UK (Metrodome), Benelux (Wildbunch), Switzerland (Frenetic Films) and Former Yugoslavia (Continental Film) and Lithuania (Scanorama). Domestic distributor Svensk Filmindustri will release the film October 2013.