Haugesund unveils strong Nordic line-up

The Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund claims to have its strongest ever line-up of Nordic features this year, including two Norwegian titles: Stein Leikanger's Odd Little Man and Hans Petter Moland's Aberdeen, a co-production with the UK.

Road movie Aberdeen, starring Stellan Skarsgaard, Ian Hart and Lena Headey, screened at this year's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Odd Little Man, about the childhood memories of Norwegian humorist, writer and singer Odd Borretzen, is receiving its world premiere at Haugesund and opens the event on August 27.

Other Nordic titles in the Haugesund main programme include Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson's Angels Of The Universe and Swedish features Faithless, directed by Liv Ullmann, and Songs From The Second Floor from Roy Andersson.

The main programme also has a strong UK presence with Gerard Stembridge's About Adam, Nigel Cole's Saving Grace and current festival hit Billy Elliot, directed by Stephen Daldry. US titles include the Coen brothers' Oh Brother Where Are Thou', John Singleton's Shaft and Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, directed by Rodrigo Garcia.

The festival also features sidebars dedicated to American, German and Italian film and a showcase of New Nordic Films and New Nordic Children's Films. The New Nordic sidebar will open with Pal Jackman's Detector which will be previewed on the internet ahead of its theatrical release this Friday (see separate story).

Liv Ullmann is the festival's Honorary President and will be feted with an exhibition and complete filmography prepared by The Norwegian Film Institute. Guests expected to attend the festival include Dennis Quaid, Brenda Blethyn and Nigel Cole, Volker Schloendorff and Fridrik Thor Fridriksson. The non-competitive event runs until September 3.

About Adam (Ireland-UK)
Dir: Gerard Stembridge
International sales: Miramax

Abendland (Germany)
Dir: Fred Kelemen
International sales: Futura Film

Aberdeen (Norway-UK)
Dir: Hans Petter Moland
International sales: Trust Film Sales

Angels Of The Universe (Englar Alheimsins) (Iceland)
Dir: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
International sales: Trust Film Sales

At The Height Of Summer (A La Verticale De L'ete) (France-Vietnam)
Dir: Tran Anh Hung
International sales: Le Studio Canal Plus

Billy Elliot (UK)
Dir: Stephen Daldry
International sales: UPI

The Butterfly (La Lengua De Las Mariposas) (Spain)
Dir: Jose Luis Cuerda
International sales: Good Machine Int'l

Chin Up! (Haut Les Coeurs) (France)
Dir: Solveig Anspach
International sales: Mercure Distribution

Faithless (Trolosa) (Sweden)
Dir Liv Ullmann
International sales: SF

Frequency (US)
Dir: Gregory Hoblit
International sales: New Line Cinema

The Legends Of Rita (Die Stille Nach Dem Schuss) (Germany)
Dir: Volker Schlondorff
International sales: Bavaria Film Int'l

Odd Little Man (Da Jeg Traff Jesus Med Sprettert) (Norway)
Director: Stein Leikanger
International sales: n/a

Oh Brother Where Art Thou' (US)
Dir: Joel Coen
International sales: UPI

One Day In September (UK-Switzerland)
Dir: Kevin MacDonald
International sales: BV Int'l Pictures

Rien A Faire (France)
Dir: Marion Vernoux
International sales: Flach Pyramide Int'l

The Road Home (Wo De Fu Qin Mu Qin) (China-US)
Dir: Zhang Yimou
International sales: Columbia

Road Trip (US)
Dir: Todd Phillips
International sales: DreamWorks

Saving Grace (UK)
Dir: Nigel Cole
International sales: Portman Entertainment

The Secret (Le Secret) (France)
Dir: Virginie Wagon
International sales: Mercure Distribution

Shaft (US)
Dir: John Singleton
International sales: Paramount

Solas (Spain)
Dir: Benito Zambrano
International sales: UGC

Songs From The Second Floor (Sanger Fran Andra Vaningen) (Sweden)
Dir: Roy Andersson
International sales: The Co-production Office

Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her (US)
Dir: Rodrigo Garcia
International sales: MGM

The Virgin Suicides (US)
Dir Sofia Coppola
International sales: Le Studio Canal Plus

The Widow Of Saint-Pierre (La Veuve De Saint-Pierre) (France-Canada)
Dir Patrice Leconte
International sales: Flach Pyramide Int'l

Girlfight
Dir: Karyn Kusama
International sales: UA

Songcatcher
Dir: Maggie Greenwald
International sales: UA

Spring Forward
Dir: Tom Gilroy
International sales: C-Hundred Film/cineBLAST!/IFC Prod

The Farewell (Abschied)
Dir: Jan SchUtte
International sales: Cinepool

Gigantic (Absolute Giganten)
Dir: Sebastian Schipper
International sales: Bavaria Film Int'l

Sun Alley (Sonnenallee)
Dir: Leander Haussmann
International sales: Beta Film

Garage Olimpo (Italy-Argentina)
Dir: Marco Bechis
International sales: Adriana Chiesa

Bread And Tulips (Pane E Tulipani)
Dir: Silvio Soldini
International sales: Adriana Chiesa

Scarlet Diva
Dir: Asia Argento
International sales: Adriana Chiesa

All The Love There Is (Tutto L'Amore Che C'e)
Dir: Sergio Rubini
International sales: Cecchi Gori Group

Nordrand
Dir: Barbara Albert
International sales: First Hand Films

Nosferatu (1922) (Germany)
Dir: F. W. Murnau

Shadow Of The Vampire (US)
Dir: E. Elias Merhige
International sales: Lions Gate

Dinosaur (US)
Dirs: Ralph Zondag, Eric Leighton
International sales: Buena Vista

Scary Movie (US)
Dir: Keenen Ivory Wayans
International sales: Miramax

Norway:
Odd Little Man (Da Jeg Traff Jesus Med Sprettert)
Director: Stein Leikanger

Fumblebody In A Cat's Jam (Fomlesen I Kattepine)
Director: Petter A. Fastvold
International sales: SF

Denmark:
Help! I'm A Fish (Hjælp! Jeg Er En Fisk)
Dirs: Michael Hegner, Stefan Fjeldmark
International sales: PID

Circleen - Mice And Romance (Cirkeline - Ost Og Kærlighed)
Director: Jannik Hastrup
International sales: Dansk Tegnefilm Produktion

Katja's Adventure (Falkehjerte)
Director: Lars Hesselholdt
International sales: Nordisk Film International

Miracle (Mirakel)
Director: Natasha Arthy
International sales: Trust Film Sales

Sweden:
A Witch In The Family (En Haxa I Familjen)
Director: Harald Hamrell
International sales: BV Int'l Pictures

Pettson Och Findus
Director: Albert Hanan Kaminski
International sales: Happy Life

Sherdil
Director: Ghita Mallik
International sales: