The 57th annual Sydney Film Festival which opened this week is screening two Norwegian films. The festival presents the Australian premiere of Åsleik Engmark’s charming film “Twigson” and Hans Petter Moland’s award-winning comedy “A Somewhat Gentle Man”.
Based on Norwegian author Anne Cath. Vestly`s beloved children’s novel Lillebror og knerten, Twigson (2009) is about a tough, naughty, quick-witted and brave boy who finds an unusual friend. Lillebror has just moved, and has not made any new friends yet, when the wooden twig Knerten appears in the middle of a pile of firewood... And one thing is for certain: twigs like Twigson don't grow on trees.
Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland’s first comedy, A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010), was awarded the Berliner Morgenpost Audience Prize at the recent Berlin International Film Festival, and went straight to a No 2 position on the local charts, following its launch at the Kosmorama - Trondheim International Film Festival. The film has so far been licensed to more 20 countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux countries, Russia, the Baltic Republics, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and the US. A Somewhat Gentle Man is the story of a man who is released from prison after serving 12 years for killing his wife’s lover. His son will have nothing to do with him; his former colleagues expect him to get back at the man who peached on him. What is he to do now?
The Sydney Film Festival has since its inception in 1954 grown into a 13 day affair that draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre.
The 2010 festival screens the best of the world's cinema, approximately 150 feature-length films from around 45 countries, including features, documentaries, short films, retrospectives, a silent film presentation, films for families and a series of industry events and forums. The festival hosts a number of awards to recognise excellence in filmmaking, including the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, (which are Academy Award eligible) and the Official Competition, which celebrates 'courageous and audacious filmmaking'.
A Somewhat Gentle Man is screened on Monday 7 and Thursdag 10 June. Twigson is screened on Saturday 12 and Monday 14 June. For exact times and venues or for more information about the films, please follow the links to the right.