As the final work in progress wrapped on Friday, Göteborg ‘s head of TV Drama Vision Cia Edström and head of industry and Nordic Film Market Josef Kullengård could finally relax after a mission well accomplished.
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
- 2/3/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Line-up for the 25th edition of the market includes 16 completed features, 15 Wip, 17 films in development.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
- 1/16/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Göteborg Film Festival’s film industry confab, the Nordic Film Market, unspooling Jan 31-Feb. 2, has unveiled in exclusivity to Variety its 2024 lineup comprising 58 new and upcoming Nordic films.
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
- 1/16/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
“Kingdom of the Blind,” “Little Trouble Girls” and “Wind, Talk To Me” were among the projects which won prizes at the milestone 15th edition of Les Arcs Film Festival‘s Industry Village.
The event, held in a popular French Alps resort, was attended by more than 700 professionals, including top sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, on top of high profile talent, such as two-time Palme d’Or winning Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) who was the festival’s guest of honor.
The growing popularity of Les Arcs’s industry sidebar underscores “the resilience of the independent European film market and the continued interest in original stories along with feature debuts,” said Jeremy Zelnik, an indie producer (“Kubrick by Kubrick”) who heads the Industry Village and co-founded the festival with Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Guillaume Calop and Fabienne Silvestre.
This year, the Coproduction Village and Work in Progress section received a record 680 projects...
The event, held in a popular French Alps resort, was attended by more than 700 professionals, including top sales agents, distributors and festival programmers, on top of high profile talent, such as two-time Palme d’Or winning Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) who was the festival’s guest of honor.
The growing popularity of Les Arcs’s industry sidebar underscores “the resilience of the independent European film market and the continued interest in original stories along with feature debuts,” said Jeremy Zelnik, an indie producer (“Kubrick by Kubrick”) who heads the Industry Village and co-founded the festival with Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin, Guillaume Calop and Fabienne Silvestre.
This year, the Coproduction Village and Work in Progress section received a record 680 projects...
- 12/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia and France are all producing the title.
Urska Djukic’s Little Trouble Girls, a co-production between five European countries, is among the winners at the Les Arcs Film Festival Industry Village, which handed out its prizes this evening.
The film took the €10,000 post-production services award in the Work in Progress section. Slovenia’s Spok Film and Nosorogi, Italy’s Staragara I.T., Croatia’s Izazov, Serbia’s Non-Aligned Films and France’s Sister Productions are all producing the film.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The feature debut of Slovenian director Djukic, Little Trouble Girls...
Urska Djukic’s Little Trouble Girls, a co-production between five European countries, is among the winners at the Les Arcs Film Festival Industry Village, which handed out its prizes this evening.
The film took the €10,000 post-production services award in the Work in Progress section. Slovenia’s Spok Film and Nosorogi, Italy’s Staragara I.T., Croatia’s Izazov, Serbia’s Non-Aligned Films and France’s Sister Productions are all producing the film.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
The feature debut of Slovenian director Djukic, Little Trouble Girls...
- 12/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Les Arcs Film Festival, the European equivalent to the Sundance Film Festival, has unveiled the list of projects which will be presented during its competitive Work-in-Progress showcase.
Curated by Tribeca and Les Arcs’ artistic director Frederic Boyer and Lison Hervé, the selection will present a broad range of movies in post-production seeking a sales agent, festival slots and international distribution.
This year’s roster includes several titles from Scandinavia, including “Acts of Love,” a Danish-language film directed by Jeppe Rønde, and “The Swedish Torpedo,” a period epic directed by Frida Kempff (“Winter Buoy”). Josefin Neldén stars in “The Swedish Torpedo” as Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim across the English Channel in 1939. The film is produced by Momento Film, with Amrion, Inland Film Company, and Velvet Films.
“Acts of Love,” meanwhile, tells the story of a young woman living in a religious community and stars Jonas Holst Schmidt (“Copenhagen Does Not Exist...
Curated by Tribeca and Les Arcs’ artistic director Frederic Boyer and Lison Hervé, the selection will present a broad range of movies in post-production seeking a sales agent, festival slots and international distribution.
This year’s roster includes several titles from Scandinavia, including “Acts of Love,” a Danish-language film directed by Jeppe Rønde, and “The Swedish Torpedo,” a period epic directed by Frida Kempff (“Winter Buoy”). Josefin Neldén stars in “The Swedish Torpedo” as Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim across the English Channel in 1939. The film is produced by Momento Film, with Amrion, Inland Film Company, and Velvet Films.
“Acts of Love,” meanwhile, tells the story of a young woman living in a religious community and stars Jonas Holst Schmidt (“Copenhagen Does Not Exist...
- 12/8/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 13 upcoming features selected for its Work-in Progress showcase.
The selection includes respected French, New York-based artist and filmmaker Marie Losier’s bio-doc Peaches Goes Bananas about Canadian electronic musician Merrill Beth Nisker, aka Peaches.
Danish director Jeppe Rønde, who made waves with mass teen suicide drama Bridgend, is participating with second fiction feature Acts of Love, about a taboo sibling relationship within the confines of a religious community on Denmark’s west coast. (scroll down for full list).
Excerpts from the selected productions will be screened to industry professionals on December 17 as part of the festival’s Industry Village events, which also includes the Coproduction Village.
Both events are taking place within the framework of the festival’s 15th edition running from December 16 to 19 in the French Alps resort of Les Arcs.
The showcase received a record 181 project submissions this year, 38% of which are directed women.
The selection includes respected French, New York-based artist and filmmaker Marie Losier’s bio-doc Peaches Goes Bananas about Canadian electronic musician Merrill Beth Nisker, aka Peaches.
Danish director Jeppe Rønde, who made waves with mass teen suicide drama Bridgend, is participating with second fiction feature Acts of Love, about a taboo sibling relationship within the confines of a religious community on Denmark’s west coast. (scroll down for full list).
Excerpts from the selected productions will be screened to industry professionals on December 17 as part of the festival’s Industry Village events, which also includes the Coproduction Village.
Both events are taking place within the framework of the festival’s 15th edition running from December 16 to 19 in the French Alps resort of Les Arcs.
The showcase received a record 181 project submissions this year, 38% of which are directed women.
- 12/7/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Excerpts from the 13 selected films will be screened to attending industry on Sunday 17 in Les Arcs.
Ukrainian sci-fi U Are The Universe is among 13 feature projects selected for the Work in Progress strand of Les Arcs Film Festival, which runs from December 16-23.
The feature debut of Ukrainian filmmaker Pavlo Ostrikov, the film shot in 2022 and is currently in post-production, produced by Ukraine’s ForeFilms and Belgium’s Stenola, with backing from the Ukrainian State Film Agency.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Set after the explosion of Earth, the film follows a lonely Ukrainian astronaut who believes...
Ukrainian sci-fi U Are The Universe is among 13 feature projects selected for the Work in Progress strand of Les Arcs Film Festival, which runs from December 16-23.
The feature debut of Ukrainian filmmaker Pavlo Ostrikov, the film shot in 2022 and is currently in post-production, produced by Ukraine’s ForeFilms and Belgium’s Stenola, with backing from the Ukrainian State Film Agency.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Set after the explosion of Earth, the film follows a lonely Ukrainian astronaut who believes...
- 12/7/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Momento Film, the leading Swedish banner founded by David Herdies (“Winter Buoy”) and Michael Krotkiewski (“Bellum — The Daemon Of War”), is boasting a slate of projects including the documentaries “Leaving Jesus” and “The Underdog,” as well as Simón Mesa Soto’s “A Poet.”
While at Cannes, the banner also started teasing one of its biggest project so far, “The Swedish Torpedo,” Frida Kempff (“Winter Buoy”)’s period film inspired by the life of Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim across the English Channel in 1939. “The Swedish Torpedo” will start shooting in August with a topnotch cast led by Josefin Neldén, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, as well as Lisa Carlehed (“The Emigrants”).
Co-produced by Sweden, Estonia, Belgium and England, the film opens in 1939, as Europe is on the brink of war. Sally, a 30-year-old single mom, dreams of being the first European woman to cross the English Channel. While society and...
While at Cannes, the banner also started teasing one of its biggest project so far, “The Swedish Torpedo,” Frida Kempff (“Winter Buoy”)’s period film inspired by the life of Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim across the English Channel in 1939. “The Swedish Torpedo” will start shooting in August with a topnotch cast led by Josefin Neldén, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, as well as Lisa Carlehed (“The Emigrants”).
Co-produced by Sweden, Estonia, Belgium and England, the film opens in 1939, as Europe is on the brink of war. Sally, a 30-year-old single mom, dreams of being the first European woman to cross the English Channel. While society and...
- 5/31/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
‘Border’ Star Josefin Neldén to Play Sally Bauer in Frida Kempff’s ‘The Swedish Torpedo’ (Exclusive)
Frida Kempff (“Winter Buoy”) is set to direct “The Swedish Torpedo,” a period film inspired by the life of Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim across the English Channel in 1939. The prominent Nordic cast is led by Josefin Neldén, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, as well as Lisa Carlehed (“The Emigrants”).
Produced by David Herdies and Erik Andersson at Momento Film, the film will start shooting in August in Sweden, Estonia, Belgium and England.
“Five years ago I didn’t know who Sally Bauer was and even less what she had achieved. Five days ahead of the outbreak of WWII she swam across the English Channel,” said Kempff I feel this is a story that needs to be told, about a woman who accomplished the impossible and shattered both social norms and world records.”
Neldén, who will play Bauer, said she feels “such a strong connection to Sally’s dreams, life and ambitions.
Produced by David Herdies and Erik Andersson at Momento Film, the film will start shooting in August in Sweden, Estonia, Belgium and England.
“Five years ago I didn’t know who Sally Bauer was and even less what she had achieved. Five days ahead of the outbreak of WWII she swam across the English Channel,” said Kempff I feel this is a story that needs to be told, about a woman who accomplished the impossible and shattered both social norms and world records.”
Neldén, who will play Bauer, said she feels “such a strong connection to Sally’s dreams, life and ambitions.
- 5/11/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Yellow Veil Pictures has announced that they have acquired worldwide rights for the erotic thriller documentary We Kill For Love ahead of the world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival. The company is planning a domestic release later this year and will represent the film for international sales with a launch at the upcoming Marche Du Film this May. Written, produced, and directed by Anthony Penta, the doc goes in search of the lost and misunderstood world of the direct-to-video erotic thriller, an American film genre that once dominated late night cable television and the shelves of neighborhood video stores. Director Anthony Penta Courtesy of Anthony Penta Michael Reed in We Kill for Love Courtesy of Yellow Veil Pictures Balancing film art with scholarship, We Kill For Love pulls back the curtain to reveal the heart and soul of a forgotten and often maligned film movement. Joe Yanick Co-Founder of...
- 3/29/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the erotic thriller documentary “We Kill For Love” ahead of its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival.
The company is planning a domestic release later this year and will represent the film for international sales with a launch at the upcoming Marche Du Film in Cannes.
Written, produced, and directed by Anthony Penta, “We Kill for Love” depicts the long-gone world of direct-to-video erotic thriller, an American film genre that once dominated late night cable television and the shelves of neighborhood video stores.
“‘We Kill For Love’ is a home run for erotic thriller fans,” said Joe Yanick, co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures. “It’s one of the most in-depth looks at genre cinema and serves as more than just a love letter but pushes the conversation and spotlights films that have often often lost out to their more glamorous theatrical counterparts,...
The company is planning a domestic release later this year and will represent the film for international sales with a launch at the upcoming Marche Du Film in Cannes.
Written, produced, and directed by Anthony Penta, “We Kill for Love” depicts the long-gone world of direct-to-video erotic thriller, an American film genre that once dominated late night cable television and the shelves of neighborhood video stores.
“‘We Kill For Love’ is a home run for erotic thriller fans,” said Joe Yanick, co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures. “It’s one of the most in-depth looks at genre cinema and serves as more than just a love letter but pushes the conversation and spotlights films that have often often lost out to their more glamorous theatrical counterparts,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Horror movies that feature an intense and probing study of its characters’ minds can often be the most terrifying. An external dilemma is scary all on its own, but learning what makes dangerous people tick is something else entirely. The protagonist of Screambox‘s latest release, The Anchor, has her own encounter with an unpredictable person when she receives a disturbing phone call at work. TV newscaster Se-ra (Chun Woo-hee) gets a “tip” from a mother claiming a man has broken into her house. She insists the intruder will kill her after having murdered her daughter. Se-ra, believing this is a sick prank, then doesn’t help the caller. Later, she realizes the grave mistake she’s made.
Jung Ji-yeon‘s first movie isn’t as straightforward as the plot makes it sound. In fact, The Anchor is a twisty thriller full of genuine jolts and pleasant surprises. It’s also confidently made,...
Jung Ji-yeon‘s first movie isn’t as straightforward as the plot makes it sound. In fact, The Anchor is a twisty thriller full of genuine jolts and pleasant surprises. It’s also confidently made,...
- 12/21/2022
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Ashkal,” following its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The murder mystery is the second feature from Tunisian director Youssef Chebbi and had its world premiere earlier this year at Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight section. Yellow Veil Pictures plans to release the film theatrically in 2023.
“Ashkal” is set amongst derelict, half-finished apartment complexes of a former regime, where a mysterious burnt body is discovered by two police officers. The corpse reveals a puzzling repetition of events. As the investigation progresses, a network of violence and corruption is uncovered throughout the city. Fatma Oussaifi and Mohamed Houcine Grayaa star in the picture.
“In ‘Ashkal,’ Youssef Chebbi creates images that stick in your mind long after the credits roll, creating an unforgettable, unshakeable cinematic experience,” Joe Yanick, co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures, said in a statement. “It’s...
“Ashkal” is set amongst derelict, half-finished apartment complexes of a former regime, where a mysterious burnt body is discovered by two police officers. The corpse reveals a puzzling repetition of events. As the investigation progresses, a network of violence and corruption is uncovered throughout the city. Fatma Oussaifi and Mohamed Houcine Grayaa star in the picture.
“In ‘Ashkal,’ Youssef Chebbi creates images that stick in your mind long after the credits roll, creating an unforgettable, unshakeable cinematic experience,” Joe Yanick, co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures, said in a statement. “It’s...
- 9/12/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired all North American rights to Gaspar Noé’s new meta movie “Lux Aeterna.” The studio is planning a theatrical release for the film this spring. “Lux Aeterna” made its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was later selected for the Tribeca Film Festival prior to its cancellation due to the pandemic.
“Lux Aeterna” unfolds backstage at a French film production and is stylistically daring, in the manner of many of Noé’s movies. It’s shot documentary style and frequently deploys split-screens to follow two characters at once. In a metafictional twist, Charlotte Gainsbourg, acting as herself, plays the film’s — and the film-within-a-film’s — leading role of an actress taking on the role of a witch burned at the stake while French actress Beatrice Dalle, playing a version of herself as well, assumes the on-screen role of director. Slowly the set descends into aggressive chaos,...
“Lux Aeterna” unfolds backstage at a French film production and is stylistically daring, in the manner of many of Noé’s movies. It’s shot documentary style and frequently deploys split-screens to follow two characters at once. In a metafictional twist, Charlotte Gainsbourg, acting as herself, plays the film’s — and the film-within-a-film’s — leading role of an actress taking on the role of a witch burned at the stake while French actress Beatrice Dalle, playing a version of herself as well, assumes the on-screen role of director. Slowly the set descends into aggressive chaos,...
- 2/28/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Les Arcs Film Festival, the European film fest programmed by Tribeca’s artistic director Frederic Boyer and set in the French Alps, has unveiled the lineup of its Coproduction Village which will be back as a live event after a virtual 2020 edition. The 13th edition of the industry sidebar will showcase 18 projects in development from 11 countries, including 8 projects directed by female directors.
Projects by female directors represented 34% of projects submitted and 44% of the final selection. There are seven feature debuts, and five projects by more experienced filmmakers. The coproduction Village aims at helping filmmakers find co-producers, sales agents, distributors and other financial partners.
Selected projects, which will all vie for the international ArteKino prize worth €6,000, include Frida Kempff’s historical drama “The Swedish Torpedo” and Johanna Pyykkö’s LGBT coming-of-age “Sweden-Finn,” produced by Swedish banners Momento Film and Verket Produktion, respectively; Stephan Komandarev’s drama “Made In Eu,” produced by...
Projects by female directors represented 34% of projects submitted and 44% of the final selection. There are seven feature debuts, and five projects by more experienced filmmakers. The coproduction Village aims at helping filmmakers find co-producers, sales agents, distributors and other financial partners.
Selected projects, which will all vie for the international ArteKino prize worth €6,000, include Frida Kempff’s historical drama “The Swedish Torpedo” and Johanna Pyykkö’s LGBT coming-of-age “Sweden-Finn,” produced by Swedish banners Momento Film and Verket Produktion, respectively; Stephan Komandarev’s drama “Made In Eu,” produced by...
- 11/18/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Selected directors include Stephan Komandarev, Dzintars Dreibergs, Laetitia Dosch.
Stephen Komandarev, Dzintars Dreibergs and Laetitia Dosch are among the 18 directors whose projects have been selected for the 13th edition of the Les Arcs Coproductions Village.
The projects will compete for the €6,000 ArteKino International Prize.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Bulgarian director Komandarev participates with Made In EU, a co-production between Bulgaria’s Argo Film and Germany’s 42Film. Komandarev has directed 10 previous features, including Directions, which debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2017.
Dreibergs attends with Escape Net, produced by Latvia’s Kultfilma. Dreibergs’ previous titles include Blizzard Of Souls,...
Stephen Komandarev, Dzintars Dreibergs and Laetitia Dosch are among the 18 directors whose projects have been selected for the 13th edition of the Les Arcs Coproductions Village.
The projects will compete for the €6,000 ArteKino International Prize.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Bulgarian director Komandarev participates with Made In EU, a co-production between Bulgaria’s Argo Film and Germany’s 42Film. Komandarev has directed 10 previous features, including Directions, which debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2017.
Dreibergs attends with Escape Net, produced by Latvia’s Kultfilma. Dreibergs’ previous titles include Blizzard Of Souls,...
- 11/18/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Claustrophic tale of a woman falling apart in her flat is familiar territory, but told here with fresh panache
Documentary-maker Frida Kempff makes her feature debut with a Swedish-set thriller drenched in urban paranoia. Molly (Cecilia Milocco), who has recently finished a stay at a psychiatric hospital following a personal tragedy, has moved into a new flat hoping for a fresh start. The plan proves futile: she is soon plagued by mysterious, relentless sounds of knocking coming from her ceiling. Convinced that someone is being hurt, Molly is determined to trace the origin of this mysterious cry for help, only to be faced with others’ disbelief and her own deteriorating sanity.
Such a premise is by no means novel – apartment angst has been done to death since at least the mid-60s, after Polanski’s Repulsion – yet the eerie visuals and Milocco’s heart-wrenching performance elevate Knocking above its otherwise thin plot.
Documentary-maker Frida Kempff makes her feature debut with a Swedish-set thriller drenched in urban paranoia. Molly (Cecilia Milocco), who has recently finished a stay at a psychiatric hospital following a personal tragedy, has moved into a new flat hoping for a fresh start. The plan proves futile: she is soon plagued by mysterious, relentless sounds of knocking coming from her ceiling. Convinced that someone is being hurt, Molly is determined to trace the origin of this mysterious cry for help, only to be faced with others’ disbelief and her own deteriorating sanity.
Such a premise is by no means novel – apartment angst has been done to death since at least the mid-60s, after Polanski’s Repulsion – yet the eerie visuals and Milocco’s heart-wrenching performance elevate Knocking above its otherwise thin plot.
- 11/8/2021
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Swedish director Frida Kempff makes an astonishing and bold debut with Knocking, her Sundance-premiering psychological thriller now out in the U.S. on digital platforms. Molly (Cecilia Milocco) has been released from a mental hospital into everyday life, moving into a spartan apartment in an impersonal urban apartment building. But at night, as images of her past trauma flicker through her recovering brain, there’s a knocking sound. What begins as an irritant turns to destabilizing obsession as Molly begins to believe that the sounds originate from a woman help captive and in danger. In an incredible performance, Milocco keeps us both […]
The post “Let’s Look at the Color of Your Emotional Journey…” Director Frida Kempff on Her Immersive Psychological Thriller, Knocking first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Let’s Look at the Color of Your Emotional Journey…” Director Frida Kempff on Her Immersive Psychological Thriller, Knocking first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 10/29/2021
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Parenthood, relationships, and the creative process: three key elements of the cinema of Mia Hansen-Løve casually combine in Bergman Island, a playfully self-aware meta-portrait of the filmmaker and, indeed, of filmmaking itself. Introspective, inventive, and effortlessly calm; it follows a couple, both screenwriters, on an idyllic work retreat to Fårö, an island in the Baltic Sea (population: 498) just off the South East of Sweden. It’s the place Ingmar Bergman called home for the majority of his life, where he made many films and eventually died. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve has surmounted this slew of bad omens, by arguably––in filmmaking terms––making the most impersonal adaptation possible. For all his skill and talent,...
Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Parenthood, relationships, and the creative process: three key elements of the cinema of Mia Hansen-Løve casually combine in Bergman Island, a playfully self-aware meta-portrait of the filmmaker and, indeed, of filmmaking itself. Introspective, inventive, and effortlessly calm; it follows a couple, both screenwriters, on an idyllic work retreat to Fårö, an island in the Baltic Sea (population: 498) just off the South East of Sweden. It’s the place Ingmar Bergman called home for the majority of his life, where he made many films and eventually died. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve has surmounted this slew of bad omens, by arguably––in filmmaking terms––making the most impersonal adaptation possible. For all his skill and talent,...
- 10/22/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Slash Film calls Knocking “an unforgettable experience” and The Hollywood Reporter praises it as “gripping from first scene to last… a horror riff on Rear Window”
Check out this scary trailer:
After suffering a traumatic incident, Molly (Cecilia Milocco) moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery, but it’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night. Molly’s new life begins to unravel as the screams intensify and no one else in the building believes or is willing to help her.
Knocking, which world premiered to great acclaim at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section, is the narrative feature debut from Swedish director Frida Kempff, whose past credits include the 2010 Cannes Prix du Jury winning short Bathing Micky and the 2015 documentary Winter Buoy.
A timely psychological horror thriller built on very real human fears and anxieties,...
Check out this scary trailer:
After suffering a traumatic incident, Molly (Cecilia Milocco) moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery, but it’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night. Molly’s new life begins to unravel as the screams intensify and no one else in the building believes or is willing to help her.
Knocking, which world premiered to great acclaim at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section, is the narrative feature debut from Swedish director Frida Kempff, whose past credits include the 2010 Cannes Prix du Jury winning short Bathing Micky and the 2015 documentary Winter Buoy.
A timely psychological horror thriller built on very real human fears and anxieties,...
- 10/6/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Swedish director Frida Kempff says she developed her career in the documentary genre because she was interested in social issues. She decided to make her fiction debut with Knocking, based on the homonymous novel by her compatriot Johan Theorin, because she saw the opportunity to make a genre film with social relevance, one that seeks to reflect on screen how women are treated, and unfairly judged, by today's society. This type of genre film has been labeled as a new wave of 'arthouse horror' since the middle of the last decade. Knocking meets the characteristics that the mainstream media classify as 'elevated genre': films with a familiar development, in which an underlying meaning 'elevates' them above the average. Molly has spent the...
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- 10/6/2021
- Screen Anarchy
Stars: Cecilia Milocco, Albin Grenholm, Ville Virtanen, Krister Kern, Alexander Salzberger, Charlotta Åkerblom | Written by Emma Broström | Directed by Frida Kempff
Obviously inspired by not only societies way of treating the mentally ill but also the freakish, terrifying works of Roman Polanski (Repulsion) and Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window), Knocking is a slow-burn horror that has the audience questioning what’s happening as much as the films heroine Molly (Cecilia Milocco).
The film tells the story of the aforementioned Molly who has just moved into her new apartment in a large apartment block. However her stay is unnerved by a haunting knocking sound from upstairs. As the noises become more desperate and increasingly sound like cries for help, she confronts her neighbours, but it seems no one else can hear them. In an unsettling quest for truth, Molly soon realises that no one believes her, and begins to question if she...
Obviously inspired by not only societies way of treating the mentally ill but also the freakish, terrifying works of Roman Polanski (Repulsion) and Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window), Knocking is a slow-burn horror that has the audience questioning what’s happening as much as the films heroine Molly (Cecilia Milocco).
The film tells the story of the aforementioned Molly who has just moved into her new apartment in a large apartment block. However her stay is unnerved by a haunting knocking sound from upstairs. As the noises become more desperate and increasingly sound like cries for help, she confronts her neighbours, but it seems no one else can hear them. In an unsettling quest for truth, Molly soon realises that no one believes her, and begins to question if she...
- 9/2/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Outfest Los Angeles features two films with "RuPaul's Drag Race" winners BeBe Zahara Benet and Bianca del Rio in its lineup for its 39th Film Festival.
Season 6 winner Bianca del Rio will join the main cast members of "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie," Max Harwood and Lauren Patel, in the festival's opening event. Del Rio plays art teacher Miss Haywood in the feature adaptation of the musical.
Season 1 winner BeBe Zahara Benet will perform live before the premiere of "Being Bebe," which follows the Cameroonian-American immigrant's struggle to embrace being an LGBTQ performer against discriminatory cultural forces.
Named after the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Outfest, the 10-day festival will celebrate LGBTQ+ stories and voices in film and television and will return to in-person screenings.
Outfest will also host the 5th Annual Trans and NonBinary Summit on August 21 with a panel featuring established and emerging trans and nonbinary creators, Zackary Drucker and Our Lady J.
Season 6 winner Bianca del Rio will join the main cast members of "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie," Max Harwood and Lauren Patel, in the festival's opening event. Del Rio plays art teacher Miss Haywood in the feature adaptation of the musical.
Season 1 winner BeBe Zahara Benet will perform live before the premiere of "Being Bebe," which follows the Cameroonian-American immigrant's struggle to embrace being an LGBTQ performer against discriminatory cultural forces.
Named after the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Outfest, the 10-day festival will celebrate LGBTQ+ stories and voices in film and television and will return to in-person screenings.
Outfest will also host the 5th Annual Trans and NonBinary Summit on August 21 with a panel featuring established and emerging trans and nonbinary creators, Zackary Drucker and Our Lady J.
- 7/26/2021
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Oh boy! The second wave of Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 is here and it is chock full of so many good and promising genre treats for attendees this year. As diverse and eclectic as the countries they come from FrightFest has scoured the globe for the very best of the season so far and could introduce us to the next breakout hits. Canadian horror flick Bloodthirsty is good, Frida Kempff's Knocking is great, and you do not want to miss Nocturna: Side A - The Great Old Man's Night! And with fourteen world premieres there will be lots to talk about at this year's festival. Because my interest and focus is on the LatAm region I am keen on seeing two films from...
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- 7/22/2021
- Screen Anarchy
Arrow Video FrightFest, the UK’s biggest horror and fantasy film festival, is back at the Cineworld Leicester Square from Thursday August 26th – Monday 30th August 2021 for five days of the very best of global genre cinema.
The internationally renowned event leads the way in attesting to the versatility of the genre and, despite the interruptions caused by the pandemic, this year is no exception as the twenty-five films to be presented in the main screens are revealed. They include four world premieres and eight International / European premieres. Global events over the past eighteen months have not only altered most people’s lives but have had a profoundly influential effect on a lot of genre filmmakers and both the opening and closing films this year reflect that.
From the press release:
It’s Full Scream ahead as Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 announces its second wave of hugely anticipated Discovery Screen and...
The internationally renowned event leads the way in attesting to the versatility of the genre and, despite the interruptions caused by the pandemic, this year is no exception as the twenty-five films to be presented in the main screens are revealed. They include four world premieres and eight International / European premieres. Global events over the past eighteen months have not only altered most people’s lives but have had a profoundly influential effect on a lot of genre filmmakers and both the opening and closing films this year reflect that.
From the press release:
It’s Full Scream ahead as Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 announces its second wave of hugely anticipated Discovery Screen and...
- 7/22/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Ahead of the Pre-Cannes Screenings, which run in advance of the 2021 Marché du Film, worldwide sales arthouse genre outfit Yellow Veil Pictures announces the launch of a new North American distribution arm. The company will continue to focus on boundary-pushing genre cinema and will inaugurate the new venture with Frida Kempff’s Sundance hit Knocking …
The post Cannes Market: Yellow Veil Pictures Launch Distribution Arm With Acquisition of Frida Kempff’s Sundance Sensation Knocking appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Cannes Market: Yellow Veil Pictures Launch Distribution Arm With Acquisition of Frida Kempff’s Sundance Sensation Knocking appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 6/26/2021
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
From Luz to George A. Romero's The Amusement Park, Yellow Veil Pictures has been involved in getting some excellent films in front of horror fans, and they're taking the next logical step: launching a North American distribution arm. The first title as part of their new venture will be, Frida Kempff's Knocking, which recently screened at Sundance:
"June 16, 2021 // - Ahead of the Pre-Cannes Screenings, which run in advance of the 2021 Marché du Film, worldwide sales arthouse genre outfit Yellow Veil Pictures announces the launch of a new North American distribution arm. The company will continue to focus on boundary-pushing genre cinema and will inaugurate the new venture with Frida Kempff’s Sundance hit Knocking with a planned theatrical and digital release this fall.
Knocking marks the feature debut for Kempff who, in 2010, saw her short Bathing Mickey take home the Prix du Jury at Cannes. The film stars Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary) as Molly,...
"June 16, 2021 // - Ahead of the Pre-Cannes Screenings, which run in advance of the 2021 Marché du Film, worldwide sales arthouse genre outfit Yellow Veil Pictures announces the launch of a new North American distribution arm. The company will continue to focus on boundary-pushing genre cinema and will inaugurate the new venture with Frida Kempff’s Sundance hit Knocking with a planned theatrical and digital release this fall.
Knocking marks the feature debut for Kempff who, in 2010, saw her short Bathing Mickey take home the Prix du Jury at Cannes. The film stars Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary) as Molly,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Yellow Veil Pictures is launching a new North American distribution arm and has secured its first release in Frida Kempff’s “Knocking.”
The announcement comes in advance of the Cannes market this month and marks an important step forward in the evolution of the sales outfit, which has carved out a niche for itself in the arthouse genre sector.
“Knocking,” which screened in Sundance, will have a theatrical and digital release this fall. It marks the feature debut for Kempff who, in 2010, saw her short “Bathing Mickey” take home the Prix du Jury at Cannes. The film stars Cecilia Milocco as Molly, who after suffering a traumatic incident moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery. It’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night. Molly’s new life begins to unravel as the...
The announcement comes in advance of the Cannes market this month and marks an important step forward in the evolution of the sales outfit, which has carved out a niche for itself in the arthouse genre sector.
“Knocking,” which screened in Sundance, will have a theatrical and digital release this fall. It marks the feature debut for Kempff who, in 2010, saw her short “Bathing Mickey” take home the Prix du Jury at Cannes. The film stars Cecilia Milocco as Molly, who after suffering a traumatic incident moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery. It’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night. Molly’s new life begins to unravel as the...
- 6/16/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Frida Kempff, the Swedish director whose credits include the 2021 Sundance selection Knocking, has inked with ICM Partners for representation and Brillstein Entertainment Partners for management.
Kempff’s documentaries and shorts have screened at Cannes, Telluride, IDFA, London Iff and Goteborg. She was the first Swede since 1957 to win an award with a short film in the main competition at Cannes with Bathing Micky.
Next up, she is working on her English-language debut, an adaptation of Ninni Holmqvist’s bestselling novel The Unit. The sci-fi thriller is set in a dystopian not-so-distant future where men and women deemed economically worthless are sent to a retirement community called ‘the Unit’, it is being pitched as in the vein of The Lobster and Let Me Go. Kempff’s long-time producing partner Erik Andersson is producing.
Kempff’s documentaries and shorts have screened at Cannes, Telluride, IDFA, London Iff and Goteborg. She was the first Swede since 1957 to win an award with a short film in the main competition at Cannes with Bathing Micky.
Next up, she is working on her English-language debut, an adaptation of Ninni Holmqvist’s bestselling novel The Unit. The sci-fi thriller is set in a dystopian not-so-distant future where men and women deemed economically worthless are sent to a retirement community called ‘the Unit’, it is being pitched as in the vein of The Lobster and Let Me Go. Kempff’s long-time producing partner Erik Andersson is producing.
- 5/21/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Above: Carlson Young’s The Blazing World Midnight screenings are my personal haven at festivals. Whenever main competitions start to feel a bit weary, I gladly deflect to genre-driven sessions for a sharper edge and a quickened pulse. At the same time, the competitions have also made some welcome room for genre (consider Parasite or Bacurau), which serves as a reminder that horror has always been well suited not only to bold narrative leaps and visual experimentation, but also to a social and cultural critique. This proclivity continues in the recent electrifying horror movies by Jordan Peele (Get Out and Us), and by indie women directors. I’m thinking particularly of Amy Seimetz’s stellar I Die Tomorrow, which was originally scheduled to premiere at SXSW, in 2020, and Rose Glass’s Saint Maud, an absolute find at TIFF, in 2019, which is finally getting recognition in the UK, and was just released in the US.
- 2/23/2021
- MUBI
When Molly, the troubled but dogged protagonist of Knocking, moves into her new apartment, she notices the word “Help” scrawled high on the elevator wall. Whether this is a random bit of graffiti or a sign of a particular hyperawareness on Molly’s part — a sensitivity to cries of anguish — goes to the heart of this smart, disquieting film. Working from Emma Broström’s adaptation of a novel by Johan Theorin, first-time feature director Frida Kempff embraces and revamps genre tropes, casting them in a trenchant feminist light and a character-specific poignancy. The action unfolds entirely through Molly’...
- 2/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Molly, the troubled but dogged protagonist of Knocking, moves into her new apartment, she notices the word “Help” scrawled high on the elevator wall. Whether this is a random bit of graffiti or a sign of a particular hyperawareness on Molly’s part — a sensitivity to cries of anguish — goes to the heart of this smart, disquieting film. Working from Emma Broström’s adaptation of a novel by Johan Theorin, first-time feature director Frida Kempff embraces and revamps genre tropes, casting them in a trenchant feminist light and a character-specific poignancy. The action unfolds entirely through Molly’...
- 2/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
With the 2021 Sundance Film Festival now officially in the books, here’s a look at three different female-centric films that I had the opportunity to screen during the festival: Frida Kempff’s Knocking, Violation from Madeleine Sims-Frewer and Dusty Macinelli, and Karen Cinorre’s girl power fantasy Mayday.
Knocking: In Knocking, filmmaker Frida Kempff has crafted a timely and effective thriller that explores mental health in a very thoughtful and thought-provoking way. The story is centered around Molly (Cecilia Milocco), a woman who has recently been released from a psychiatric facility after experiencing a traumatic event and is looking to start her life over. As she settles into her new apartment during an oppressive heatwave, Molly begins to hear a mysterious knocking through the wall. What could it be? Is it someone fixing something, or is there something more sinister than that going on? As Molly begins to investigate the strange noises,...
Knocking: In Knocking, filmmaker Frida Kempff has crafted a timely and effective thriller that explores mental health in a very thoughtful and thought-provoking way. The story is centered around Molly (Cecilia Milocco), a woman who has recently been released from a psychiatric facility after experiencing a traumatic event and is looking to start her life over. As she settles into her new apartment during an oppressive heatwave, Molly begins to hear a mysterious knocking through the wall. What could it be? Is it someone fixing something, or is there something more sinister than that going on? As Molly begins to investigate the strange noises,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
All filmmakers introduced their works before each Sundance 2021 virtual screening. Swedish director Frida Kempff, responsible of Knocking, spoke about her film background. Until now she had developed her career in the documentary genre, always interested in social issues. She decided to make her fiction debut with Knocking, based on the homonymous novel by her compatriot Johan Theorin, because she saw the opportunity to make a genre film with social relevance. One that seeks to reflect on screen how women are treated, and unfairly judged, by today's society. This type of genre film has been labeled as a new wave of "arthouse horror" since the middle of the last decade. Knocking meets the characteristics that the mainstream media classify as "elevated genre": films with a...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/9/2021
- Screen Anarchy
UK sales and finance company has also appointed a new sales executive.
Bankside Films has appointed Krisztina Laszlo as senior sales manager, as the UK sales and finance company prepares for the virtual EFM.
Laszlo joins from social impact distributor Together Films, where she spent nearly a year overseeing distribution and campaigns for documentaries such as Sundance title Coded Bias and The 8th.
It marks a return to Bankside for Laszlo, who previously worked at the company as an international sales executive for Latin American and Eastern European territories from 2016 to February 2020.
In her new role, she will handle sales...
Bankside Films has appointed Krisztina Laszlo as senior sales manager, as the UK sales and finance company prepares for the virtual EFM.
Laszlo joins from social impact distributor Together Films, where she spent nearly a year overseeing distribution and campaigns for documentaries such as Sundance title Coded Bias and The 8th.
It marks a return to Bankside for Laszlo, who previously worked at the company as an international sales executive for Latin American and Eastern European territories from 2016 to February 2020.
In her new role, she will handle sales...
- 2/9/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
After a world premiere in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival, Swedish director Frida Kempff will present her suspenseful feature debut “Knocking” to domestic audiences as the closing night of the virtual Göteborg Festival. Variety caught up with her in the run-up to her Göteborg bow:
How was the virtual presentation of the film at Sundance?
It’s weird not to be able to be present with the audience but I’m surprised how wonderfully it worked out. We had a live Q&a and the audience reactions to the film were great.
Were you surprised by any of the questions?
I was surprised how well they could relate to lead Molly’s emotional journey throughout the film. One question that was interesting was, “Could Molly have been a man and would the movie have been the same?” The answer to that is no. The things Molly goes...
How was the virtual presentation of the film at Sundance?
It’s weird not to be able to be present with the audience but I’m surprised how wonderfully it worked out. We had a live Q&a and the audience reactions to the film were great.
Were you surprised by any of the questions?
I was surprised how well they could relate to lead Molly’s emotional journey throughout the film. One question that was interesting was, “Could Molly have been a man and would the movie have been the same?” The answer to that is no. The things Molly goes...
- 2/6/2021
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Swedish director Frida Kempff’s debut feature Knocking taps into a human moment: attempting to sleep and hearing a persisting noise just outside of your grasp. Set during a summer heatwave, the film uses this simple premise to create a character study of Molly (Cecilia Milocco), a recently traumatized woman affected by her partner’s apparent ocean-related death. The film’s power rests in its uncertainty of Molly, of her neighbors, and of the noises she’s hearing.
Molly, recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital, lives with time on her hands, seemingly unneeded by anyone or anything. As she attempts to make a home out of her bare apartment, this knocking begins. Not loud or initially intrusive, the sound comes from somewhere above her, though she cannot place its origin. Her mental state remains a point of contention, as you want to believe her desperation, but struggle to grapple with...
Molly, recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital, lives with time on her hands, seemingly unneeded by anyone or anything. As she attempts to make a home out of her bare apartment, this knocking begins. Not loud or initially intrusive, the sound comes from somewhere above her, though she cannot place its origin. Her mental state remains a point of contention, as you want to believe her desperation, but struggle to grapple with...
- 2/3/2021
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
Taking the time to truly get to know someone before forming an in-depth opinion about them is a powerful real-life message that the entertainment industry is finally embracing while storytellers craft their latest narratives. Acclaimed documentarian, Frida Kempff is proving what a vital voice she is in the movie industry with her feature film directorial […]
The post 2021 Sundance Film Festival Video Interview: Frida Kempff and Cecilia Milocco Talk Knocking (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post 2021 Sundance Film Festival Video Interview: Frida Kempff and Cecilia Milocco Talk Knocking (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/2/2021
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
The word “gaslighting” is so broadly used these days — its definition, in some quarters, having evolved into a synonym for “lying” — it’s almost reassuring to see a psychological thriller that cleaves to its original sense. No one else gets much reassurance, however, in “Knocking”: a Swedish creeper that, as in “Gaslight” nearly 80 years ago, sees a frail female protagonist’s mental health history weaponized against her, making her question her grip on a possibly sinister reality.
Painted in sweat and lit low in dusty browns and rich, fermented yellows, Frida Kempff’s stylish debut feature initially imbues its old-school premise with enough needling atmosphere to suggest something unnerving and unexpected afoot. The surprise, then, is its lack thereof. “Knocking” may tweak its familiar premise for a #MeToo-era critique of society’s inclination to disbelieve women, but never quite pulls the rug out from under us: Crisply made and gutsily performed as it is,...
Painted in sweat and lit low in dusty browns and rich, fermented yellows, Frida Kempff’s stylish debut feature initially imbues its old-school premise with enough needling atmosphere to suggest something unnerving and unexpected afoot. The surprise, then, is its lack thereof. “Knocking” may tweak its familiar premise for a #MeToo-era critique of society’s inclination to disbelieve women, but never quite pulls the rug out from under us: Crisply made and gutsily performed as it is,...
- 1/31/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Only This and Nothing More: Kempff Explores Cultural Gaslighting in Parochial Thriller
As in the timeless singsong of Poe’s classic poem “The Raven,” ‘suddenly there came a tapping’ in Knocking, the directorial debut of celebrated Swedish short filmmaker Frida Kempff, based on a novella by Johan Theorin (whose Echoes of the Dead was adapted by Daniel Alfredson in 2013).
An insular exercise of how the cultural stigma of mental illness creates a glaring pathway of socially acceptable forms of gaslighting, the success of such an exercise is dependent on the well-executed lead performance of Cecilia Milocco, who is equally sympathetic and frustrating as a woman whose faculties are also questioned by an audience conditioned into dismissiveness.…...
As in the timeless singsong of Poe’s classic poem “The Raven,” ‘suddenly there came a tapping’ in Knocking, the directorial debut of celebrated Swedish short filmmaker Frida Kempff, based on a novella by Johan Theorin (whose Echoes of the Dead was adapted by Daniel Alfredson in 2013).
An insular exercise of how the cultural stigma of mental illness creates a glaring pathway of socially acceptable forms of gaslighting, the success of such an exercise is dependent on the well-executed lead performance of Cecilia Milocco, who is equally sympathetic and frustrating as a woman whose faculties are also questioned by an audience conditioned into dismissiveness.…...
- 1/30/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Frida Kempff’s “Knocking” opens with an alluring hook: a foreboding overhead shot of a busy beach that all but screams, “Someone is watching, and they ain’t good!,” Molly (Cecilia Milocco) is napping on a blanket, unknowingly enjoying her last moment of peace as her girlfriend takes a plunge in the glimmering water. Then, a scream. Kempff’s film gets under the audience’s skin almost immediately, but that early power diminishes over the course of
When we next meet Molly, she’s emerging from a psychiatric ward after a prolonged stay. Details of what happened on the beach are unnecessary, but Kempff continually cuts back to that seminal day. Milocco’s performance is strong enough that the audience already understands Molly’s frailty; she’s haunted by something as she re-enters the world.
A (purposely) grating score overlays what seem to be ordinary scenarios, making a train trip feel queasy and wrong.
When we next meet Molly, she’s emerging from a psychiatric ward after a prolonged stay. Details of what happened on the beach are unnecessary, but Kempff continually cuts back to that seminal day. Milocco’s performance is strong enough that the audience already understands Molly’s frailty; she’s haunted by something as she re-enters the world.
A (purposely) grating score overlays what seem to be ordinary scenarios, making a train trip feel queasy and wrong.
- 1/30/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Set to premiere tonight as part of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival’s slate of Midnight programming is Knocking from Swedish filmmaker Friday Kempff. Starring Cecilia Milocco, Knocking is centered around a woman named Molly who is trying to rebuild her life after a traumatic event led to her spending the last year in a psychiatric hospital. At first, Molly is encouraged as she sets out to reclaim her life. But after she begins to hear a mysterious knocking through the walls, she begins to wonder if someone is trying to get her attention or if it’s just something that’s all in her head.
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with both Kempff and Milocco, and the duo discussed their collaborative process on Knocking, the timeliness of the film’s story, and more.
Look for more on Knocking, as well as other film coverage from this year’s Sundance,...
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with both Kempff and Milocco, and the duo discussed their collaborative process on Knocking, the timeliness of the film’s story, and more.
Look for more on Knocking, as well as other film coverage from this year’s Sundance,...
- 1/29/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Starting today, the 2021 Sundance Film Festival gives us a first glimpse at the year in cinema, and this year it’s available to a wider audience than ever before in virtual form. With many tickets still available, we’re now providing our yearly trailer round-up for those interested in a preview of the lineup.
Ahead of our coverage, bookmark this page for a continually-updated round-up of trailers and clips, kicking off with Taming the Garden, A Glitch in the Matrix, Land, The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, Life in a Day 2020, and more.
Check out the trailers (and clips) below thus far in alphabetical order and we’ll be published reviews soon, so follow along here.
Coming Home in the Dark (James Ashcroft)
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet (Ana Katz)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen)
A Glitch in the Matrix (Rodney Ascher)
In the Same Breath (Nanfu Wang...
Ahead of our coverage, bookmark this page for a continually-updated round-up of trailers and clips, kicking off with Taming the Garden, A Glitch in the Matrix, Land, The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, Life in a Day 2020, and more.
Check out the trailers (and clips) below thus far in alphabetical order and we’ll be published reviews soon, so follow along here.
Coming Home in the Dark (James Ashcroft)
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet (Ana Katz)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen)
A Glitch in the Matrix (Rodney Ascher)
In the Same Breath (Nanfu Wang...
- 1/28/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The festival’s 44th edition runs online (due to the pandemic) Jan 29-Feb 8.
The Goteborg Film Festival has unveiled its slimmed-down lineup of 70 films from 39 countries (compared to the usual size of about 400 films); the festival’s 44th edition runs online (due to the pandemic) Jan 29-Feb 8.
Goteborg will open with the Swedish premiere of Zaida Bergroth’s Tove, a biopic of Finnish artist and Moomins creator Tove Jansson; and will close with the European premiere of Frida Kempff’s Knocking, an unnerving psychological drama about a woman hearing strange noises in her new house. Knocking premieres at Sundance and is sold by Bankside.
The Goteborg Film Festival has unveiled its slimmed-down lineup of 70 films from 39 countries (compared to the usual size of about 400 films); the festival’s 44th edition runs online (due to the pandemic) Jan 29-Feb 8.
Goteborg will open with the Swedish premiere of Zaida Bergroth’s Tove, a biopic of Finnish artist and Moomins creator Tove Jansson; and will close with the European premiere of Frida Kempff’s Knocking, an unnerving psychological drama about a woman hearing strange noises in her new house. Knocking premieres at Sundance and is sold by Bankside.
- 1/12/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Rolling off a strong year for Scandinavian filmmaking, the virtual 44rd edition of the Goteborg Film Festival will kick off with Zaida Bergroth’s “Tove,” which will compete alongside Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round” and Ninja Thyberg’s “Pleasure,” among other Nordic pics.
Telling the story of one of Finland’s most beloved and inspiring artists, “Tove” broke box office records in Finland last year in spite of the pandemic, and now ranks as the highest grossing Finnish film in the last 40 years.
“Tove,” which is also Finland’s Oscar candidate, will be one of the seven films vying for the Dragon Award Best Nordic Film. The lineup comprises “Another Round,” one of the most prominent titles in Cannes 2020’s official selection, and “Pleasure,” which is set to world premiere at Sundance, as well as Ronnie Sandahl’s “Tigers,” Lisa Jespersen’s “Persona Non Grata,” Itonje Søimer Guttormsen’s “Gritt...
Telling the story of one of Finland’s most beloved and inspiring artists, “Tove” broke box office records in Finland last year in spite of the pandemic, and now ranks as the highest grossing Finnish film in the last 40 years.
“Tove,” which is also Finland’s Oscar candidate, will be one of the seven films vying for the Dragon Award Best Nordic Film. The lineup comprises “Another Round,” one of the most prominent titles in Cannes 2020’s official selection, and “Pleasure,” which is set to world premiere at Sundance, as well as Ronnie Sandahl’s “Tigers,” Lisa Jespersen’s “Persona Non Grata,” Itonje Søimer Guttormsen’s “Gritt...
- 1/12/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance – Virtual Screening Times: Friday, January 29 @ 9:00 p.m Pt / 10:00 p.m. Mt – Online Sunday, January 31 @ 7:00 a.m. Pt / 8:00 p.m. Mt – Online Director: Frida Kempff (Meet the Artist) Starring: Cecilia Milocco Synopsis: A woman (Molly) who has just experienced a traumatic incident is unnerved by a haunting knocking …
The post Knocking / Sundance 2021 [Midnight Section] appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Knocking / Sundance 2021 [Midnight Section] appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 12/26/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Mormon documentary ‘The Mission’ also triumphs.
Taneli Mustonen’s English-language horror feature project The Twin has won the best fiction award at the Finnish Film Affair (Ffa) 2020.
The film is produced by Don Films and is about a deceased twin that will not leave his family alone. The film is in production now for a planned launch in 2021.
The feature is being sold by Film Constellation, which previously handled Mustonen’s 2016 international hit Lake Bodom. It is being produced and is co-written by Aleksi Hyvarinen.
“This elevated horror piece speaks to a bigger thematic with its exploration of grief, giving...
Taneli Mustonen’s English-language horror feature project The Twin has won the best fiction award at the Finnish Film Affair (Ffa) 2020.
The film is produced by Don Films and is about a deceased twin that will not leave his family alone. The film is in production now for a planned launch in 2021.
The feature is being sold by Film Constellation, which previously handled Mustonen’s 2016 international hit Lake Bodom. It is being produced and is co-written by Aleksi Hyvarinen.
“This elevated horror piece speaks to a bigger thematic with its exploration of grief, giving...
- 9/25/2020
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
The hybrid event will run September 23-25 in Helsinki.
The Finnish Film Affair has unveiled the lineup for its hybrid event, which will run September 23-25 in Helsinki as well as online.
Some 300 industry professionals are expected to attend, with some in-person and 150 online.
New talents and female voices are prominent in this year’s programme, with debut features comprising one-third of the lineup. Across the selection, at least 58% of projects have at least one non-male director.
Nearly 50 films in development, production or post-production will be on offer. Some highlights in development include Lapland War from Unknown Soldier director Aku Louhimies,...
The Finnish Film Affair has unveiled the lineup for its hybrid event, which will run September 23-25 in Helsinki as well as online.
Some 300 industry professionals are expected to attend, with some in-person and 150 online.
New talents and female voices are prominent in this year’s programme, with debut features comprising one-third of the lineup. Across the selection, at least 58% of projects have at least one non-male director.
Nearly 50 films in development, production or post-production will be on offer. Some highlights in development include Lapland War from Unknown Soldier director Aku Louhimies,...
- 9/11/2020
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Swedish director previously won a Cannes jury prize with ‘Micky Bader’.
Bankside Films has boarded international sales to Swedish director Frida Kempff’s feature debut Knocking.
The UK sales outfit will introduce the project and screen a promo to buyers at the Cannes virtual Marche, which runs June 22-26. It has also released a first-look image [see above].
Knocking is in post-production after shooting on location in Norrköping, Sweden and was written by Emma Broström, based on the novel by Johan Theorin.
Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary) stars as a woman who moves into a new apartment after a tragic accident and begins to hear a disturbing knocking,...
Bankside Films has boarded international sales to Swedish director Frida Kempff’s feature debut Knocking.
The UK sales outfit will introduce the project and screen a promo to buyers at the Cannes virtual Marche, which runs June 22-26. It has also released a first-look image [see above].
Knocking is in post-production after shooting on location in Norrköping, Sweden and was written by Emma Broström, based on the novel by Johan Theorin.
Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary) stars as a woman who moves into a new apartment after a tragic accident and begins to hear a disturbing knocking,...
- 6/15/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
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