Blind Spot wins top prize at Copenhagen’s CPH PIX

Swedish actress-turned-director Tuva Novotny’s Norwegian feature Blind Spot (Blindsone) received the 2 October) the New Talent Grand PIX, the main award at the CPH PIX-Copenhagen International Film Festival, in competition with 10 other first-time directors from around the world.

 The prize which comes with €6,000 was decided by an international jury of Brazilian producer Tatiana Leite, Belgian writer-director Joachim Lafosse and Swedish director Jesper Ganslandt: “The film caught us by unanimity, for it's form, unique director's vision, and incredible performance of the lead actress.”

 Further it emphasised Novotny for ”the boldness of exploring cinema aesthetically, creating a remarkable narrative, approaching a taboo theme with conscience, and going deeper into its complexity through its family ties. It is a rare event where a film's vision and execution goes completely hand in hand with the theme and story, and creates a powerful alliance where no one can escape this experience.

 Last week (29 September) Norwegian actress Pia Tjelta was named Best Actress and awarded the Silver Shell for her lead performance in Blind Spot at Spain’s San Sebastian International Film Festival. The role had previously garnered her Norway’s Wenche Foss Honorary Prize.

 Novotny’s first directorial effort was produced by Elisabeth Kvithylll for Nordisk Film Production Norway and follows a mother’s struggle to understand the extent of her teenage daughter’s mental illness, which causes a crisis affecting the entire family. Her shot-in-one-take drama is Norway’s candidate for the 2018 Oscars.

Read interview with Tuva Novotny