Norwegian Documentaries Set for World Premieres at the Thessaloniki Festival

Norwegian documentaries We Are Stardust and In Cod We Trust will have their world premieres in the Newcomers Competition at Thessaloniki, and black metal documentary Hex will have its international premiere in the Newcomers Competition. 

The Golden Swan will have its world premiere in the International Competition. The lineup for the International Competition was unveiled today. 

In 1995, the young Norwegian artist Hans Christian Ostrø was kidnapped and executed by the guerrilla group al-Faran, while traveling in Kashmir. Based on poems and letters that Hans Christian Ostrø wrote during his captivity, his sister,  filmmaker Anette Ostrø, has made the documentary film The Golden Swan. 

– Being selected for the main competition at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival is a major recognition. I am very grateful for the opportunity to present The Golden Swan to an international audience and to an important documentary film market, says director Anette Ostrø. 

The film is produced by Fri Film, producer is Beathe Hofseth. The Golden Swan has received a total of NOK 3 821 000 in development and production funding from the Norwegian Film Institute.   

Norwegian Newcomers 

Earlier this week, the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival announced the program for the Newcomers Competition section.  

Norwegian documentary We Are Stardust, directed by Elisabeth Rasmussen,  will have its world premiere in the Newcomers Competition. The documentary follows musician Jon Larsen in his extensive work researching, finding and cataloguing real stardust. Produced by Wonderline Productions, with producers Benedikte Bredesen and Elisabeth Rasmussen. We Are Stardust is also selected for the Science section at this year's  CPH:DOX (March 11-22). We Are Stardust has received a total of NOK 2 140 000 in development funding from the Norwegian Film Institute.   

In Cod We Trust,directed by Guro Saniola Bjerk, will have its world premiere in the Newcomers Competition. The documentary portrays and pays tribute to the director's Northern Norwegian hometown Båtsfjord and the people who live there. Produced by Benedikte Bredesen at f(x) productions. In Cod We Trust has received a total of NOK 2 260 000 in development and production funding from the Norwegian Film Institute.   

Hex, directed by Maja Holand, will have its international premiere in the Newcomers Competition. The documentary follows the Norwegian black metal band Witch Club Satan, and is produced by Mari Nilsen Neira at Herstory AS. Hex will have its world premiere as the opening film of this year's Kosmorama International Film Festival in Trondheim on March 2. Hex is also selected for the Sound & Vision section at this year's CPH:DOX (March 11- 22). Hex has received a total of NOK 2 435 000 kroner  in development and production funding from the Norwegian Film Institute through the Neo talent scheme.    

The International Competition also features The Beauty of Errors, directed by Jukka Kärkkäinen, a Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian co-production, Norwegian co-producer is Carsten Aanonsen at Indie Film. 

The Newcomers Competition also features The Smuggler, directed by Sylvelin Måkestad, a Swedish/Finnish/Norwegian co-production, Norwegian co-producer is Turid Rogne at Aldeles.

The Tessaloniki International Documentary Festival (TIDF) is one of the leading documentary festivals in Europe, and this year runs from March 5-15, featuring a lineup of approx 250 documentaries. TIDF is an Oscars-qualifying festival.