In its 60th anniversary year, the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck present new films from award-winning directors and promising talents in Competition, as well as a diverse programme of 199 films

Lübeck, Oct. 10, 2018. Screening 199 films, the 60^th Nordische Filmtage Lübeck, from October 30 to November 4, 2018, will present an extensive and diverse programme with a multitude of current films from the Nordic and Baltic countries in all its sections, alongside the Filmforum, with new films from Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. At today’s press conference in the Radisson Blu Senator Hotel, the two festival directors Linde Fröhlich (artistic director) and Florian Vollmers (managing director) presented the full anniversary programme., Particularly in the Competition, comprising 17 films and carrying a prize of €12,500 endowed by broadcaster NDR, the programme is shaped by promising talent and new films by former NFL prize winners.

Three winners of the NDR Film Prize are showing new films in this year’s Competition –Michael Noer, who won in 2013 for “Northwest”, is back with “Before the Frost” (Før frosten”; Baldvin Z, who won the award for “Life in a Fishbowl” in 2014, presents “Let Me Fall” (Lof mér að falla), made with German financial participation; and from Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken, the winner in 2015 for his debut “Returning Home”, comes “An Affair” (En affære). Meanwhile, Klaus Härö, two-time winner of the Lübecker Nachrichten audience prize – in 2005 for “Mother of Mine” and in 2009 “Letters to Father Jakob” – is showing “One Last Deal”. Other familiar faces back this year are Benedikt Erlingsson, whose debut film “Of Horses and Men” opened the festival in 2013 and who now presents “Woman at War” (Kona fer í stríð), Hannes Holm (“A Moon of my Own” / Ted – För kärlekens skull), Simo Halinen (“East of Sweden” / Kääntöpiste), and Heikki Kujanpää (“Laugh or Die” / Suomen hauskin mies).

“We're proud and happy to be celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the festival with great directors, who make their mark with very specific cinematic signatures and their idiosyncratic choice of subject matter! But we’re also looking forward to our new guests –Filmmakers who are presenting their feature debuts here in Competition, and from whom we will be hearing a lot more in the future”, says Linde Fröhlich (artistic director).

That includes Kasper Kalle from Denmark with the period film “Christian IV” (Christian IV – Den sidste rejse), and Niclas Bendixen with “Ditte & Louise”, which takes a satirical, critical look at gender roles. Norway is represented by Camilla Strøm Henriksen with “Phoenix” (Føniks), and Tuva Novotny with “Blind Spot” (Blindsone). Both women are known primarily as actors and are sure to make a splash with their directing debuts. There’s no shortage of strong women from the North Atlantic rim either –Isold Uggadóttir from Iceland with “And Breathe Normally” (Andið eðlilega), and Maria Winther Olsen of the Faroe Islands with “Nina”. And not to slight the Baltic states, where a new generation of female directors is making its mark. From Lithuania, Giedrė Beinoriūtė presents “Breathing into Marble” (Kvėpavimas i marmura) and Marija Kavtaradze gives us “Summer Survivors” (Vasara), while Moonika Siimets, the director of this year’s opening night film “The Little Comrade” (Seltsimees laps) is from Estonia.

The festival, one of most important events on the Lübeck cultural calendar, has been expanded this year by one day, with six days of film screenings in four festival cinemas and other event venues. Nine awards with a total endowment of 50,000 euros will be awarded in Lübeck in 2018. For the first time, the NFL will be awarding a prize for best narrative feature debut. On the 100^th anniversary of their independence, the Baltic states and Iceland are the focus of this year’s festival, with films from those countries showing in all the sections. And Ingmar Bergmann receives a small homage in the Specials section on the centenary of his birth. Special event highlights in store for visitors include a world premiere 360° film in the Fulldome. The numerous other special events include silent film concerts, exhibitions, installations, industry gatherings, a master class, and a colloquium.

Press photos for the festival films are now available for download. All details and information about the festival can be found online at www.nordische-filmtage.de. Up-to-date news is also available on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram/nordicfilmdays. The screening schedule and additional details on the films and the side-bar programme will  be available starting October 20, 2018 on the festival homepage. Advance ticket sales begin on October 27 at 3:00 pm at the CineStar Filmpalast Stadthalle cinema, online at the festival website and at www.cinestar.de.

Press contact:

Silke Lehmann, Charlotte Roggenbuck, Elisabeth Wrage, Franziscca Reppmann
Press and publicity department
Nordische Filmtage Lübeck
Schildstr. 12, 23539 Lübeck
presse@nordische-filmtage.de