2015 Nordic Council Film Prize Nominations

The 2015 nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize have been announced. From the Nordisk Film & TV Fund, the Nordic Council Film Prize is “The purpose of the Nordic Council Film Prize is to promote the range and diversity of films produced in all of the Nordic countries, enhance the Nordic sense of cultural affinity, develop the Nordic Region as a home market for culture and boost the international standing of Nordic film."

The award winner will be presented with the prize during the Council's session on October 27 in Harpa, Reykjavik.

These are the nominees.

Stille hjerte (Silent Heart) by Bille August - Denmark

Masterfully crafted and played to perfection, director Bille August and screenwriter Christian Torpe tell a warm-hearted story about an unforgettable weekend where a family has to deal with a mother’s wish to die. In the typically Nordic tradition of exorcising all skeletons from the closet, the film dissects one of the most difficult challenges a family can face – saying goodbye to a loved one.



He ovat paenneet (They Have Escaped) by Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää - Finland

A gripping coming-of-age drama, a thrilling road movie, a drug-induced fantasy and then some! Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää's They Have Escaped flirts with genre characteristics only to rise above their respective dynamics and to metamorphose into an expressionistic, no holds barred adult fairytale. The exquisite cinematography combined with a thoughtful, multifaceted soundtrack adds to film's strong, dreamlike ambiance.



Fúsi (Virgin Mountain) by Dagur Kári - Iceland

With a delicate touch, director Dagur Kári´s Virgin Mountain is a moving coming-of-age portrait of a gentle giant. In a skilfully nuanced way this humanistic film conveys both inner torment and offbeat charm, while its symbolic interaction of items big and small conveys such universal themes as goodness, giving and grace.



Mot naturen (Out of Nature) by Ole Giæver - Norway

In Out of Nature, Ole Giæver portrays a self-reflection of our modern lives and today’s Nordic man. A personal yet forthright narrative conveys a collage of mental imagery to express memories, hopes, dreams, and emotive atmospheres, yet all in a good humour that addresses embarrassment, shame and pain.



Gentlemen by Mikael Marcimain - Sweden

Gentlemen takes us on a winding journey of a story in which time perspectives and identities are as fluid as the boundary between dreams and fantasy. The attention to detail in the film’s various expressions culminates in a uniquely personal, playful and self-reflective work.



If you wish to read more about each film go prize official site here. Most of the above films have collected honors in the festival and awards circuit; suspect that here we have one or more films that could be sent to the 2016 Oscars foreign-language category.