Bangkok--15 Sep--Vivaldi
The inaugural Nordic Film Festival 2017 will take place in Bangkok from 28 September to 1 October 2017 at Quartier CineArt, 4th Floor, EmQuartier to highlight the success of Nordic films, celebrate Nordic culture and raise awareness around common priorities such as sustainability and gender equality. This modern film fest features eight movies selected to represent the quality of films from Nordic countries for Thai people to enjoy; across a variety of genres that show the arts & culture and way of life in the Nordic part of Northern Europe. Movies will be free for visitors to view, and will be offered with English subtitles. Reservation can be made at Quartier CineArt, half an hour before each screening. Tickets are made available on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Nordic Film Festival 2017 is organized by the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. It is hoped that the Festival will increase interest for the Nordics as a creative and innovative region, and help to amplify the demand for quality films that already exists in Thailand.
H.E. Mr. Uffe Wolffhechel, Danish Ambassador, said "The organising of the Nordic Film Festival 2017 will strengthen the already strong bonds between the Nordic foreign missions in Bangkok and increase visibility of the work done by the Nordic countries present in Thailand. Being a country of movie lovers, the Thai public consumes a heavy dose of films per capita; a unified film festival is therefore an excellent way to promote the Nordic countries and their associated movie production efforts. The films that we selected to show are 'A Second Chance' and 'Key House Mirror' which offer very different examples of Danish film art. Both are dramatic and moving, and at the same time are great showings of our ever-developing movie making."
Eight screenings of Nordic films across a variety of genres will be shown during the festival, two for each participating country including dramas, comedies, nature documentaries, adventure films and family films.
The film selection from each country in this festival will include "Key House Mirror" and "Second Chance" which are emotionally dramatic Danish films that are gripping from start to finish. "Tale of a Lake" and "Tale of a Forest" are the most-watched Finnish nature documentaries of all time. These films won Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature award from International Film Music Critics Association Award (IFMCA). "Operation Arctic" comes with a People's Choice Award for Best Feature Film from TIFF Kids International Film Festival and Best Children's or Youth Film from Amanda Awards. "Victoria" received the Amanda Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. "A Holy Mess" and "Eternal Summer" represent the top films from Swedish production companies, and will present views with a different emotional direction and cultural identity.
H.E. Ms. Satu Suikkari-Kleven, Finnish Ambassador, said, "To celebrate Finland's 100th Anniversary, we are pleased to present two award winning films about the unique Finnish nature. The 'Tale of a Forest' provides a sneak peek into the Finnish wonderland and its inhabitants. We will also enjoy watching the 'Tale of a Lake', and take a breathtaking plunge into the life of Finland's almost 200.000 lakes. We should probably note that these movies will likely make our guests promptly book flights to Finland! We also believe the inaugural film festival will be a landmark leap forward for Nordic cinema."
H.E. Mr. Kjetil Paulsen, Norwegian Ambassador, said, "The eight films from four countries have been selected to show the diversity of the Nordic communities in terms of culture and society with strong characters and storylines. Many genres will be represented throughout the festival. The content of each film will focus on nature, love, gender equality and dramatic elements which represent each country. For Norway, we selected films that are related to nature and the love of nature which is an important part of the Norwegian identity. But it is easy to get lost, both in nature and in love. The two Norwegian films we are screening are about that – how to find your way out of loneliness and despair, in the setting of the variety of our majestic natural environment. We hope guests to the Festival will enjoy them greatly."
H.E. Mr. Staffan Herrström, Swedish Ambassador, said, "We wish to thank all sponsors for making it happen, and we express our sincere gratitude for the great boost this sponsorship gives to the future of Nordic cinema. The Nordic film industry has a prominent role in the world market, and is also a promising area of future export growth, as well as being successful in promoting tourism to Nordic destinations. The film directed by our female director, the comedy 'A Holy Mess' is our country's most frequently highlighted film of the year, proving that women directors are every bit as commercially viable as men. 'Eternal Summer' is something different, a drama, but equally worth watching; there is much to enjoy here. Sweden is sometimes mentioned as a role model for gender equality. We are happy to stand at the forefront via this exciting medium. "