Celebrating the Fifth Annual Nordic International Film Festival

he 5th Annual NORDIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, The Biggest Nordic Film Festival Outside Europe, is set to kick off on Wednesday, October 16 and run until Sunday, October 20, 2019. This year's NIFF will take place at its new home, the Roxy Cinema in New York's Roxy Hotel (formerly the Tribeca Grand). Panels & Parties will happen at the iconic new Park Avenue outpost of the acclaimed Stockholm Museum Fotografiska.

The festival was started by two young Swedish filmmakers living in NY, Linnea Larsdotter and Johan Matton, who have now been joined by former Stockholm Film Commissioner Ingrid Rudefors, to present quality films to film professionals, film lovers and local, national and international Nordic enthusiasts in an exclusive and attentive setting, in the midst of New York. NIFF is supported by the Consulates of all the Nordic countries. NIFF highlights the work of independent and up-and-coming Nordic and International filmmakers, as well as celebrating established peers and their work. The Festival's goal is to create a cultural HUB for Nordic and international filmmakers to meet and begin collaborations for future projects.

Scandinavian and Nordic countries have always been in the forefront of having zero-waste and even 100 percent recycling in some of the nations in Scandinavia. As such, the silent theme of this year's Official Program is Climate Change.

The vision for NIFF is to grow into an internationally renowned marketplace in which Nordic and International filmmakers, production companies, and distributors converge to buy and sell films. In order to highlight the unique potential of filming in the Nordic region, NIFF provides panels, seminars, and well-educated staff in order to kickstart conversations surrounding funding, locations, and more.

This year NIFF will present I World Premiere, 6 International Premieres, 2 North American Premieres, 1 US Premiere, 3 East Coast Premieres, and 11 New York Premieres amongst its various programs. 79% of the films in the Official Selection have at least one woman in a power position. This year, NIFF starts a collaboration with Film i Väst - with a focus on their up and coming talent, who will screen in the Aurora Borealis category.

Each of NIFF's competitive film categories - Nordic Narrative Feature, Nordic Documentary Feature, Nordic Narrative Short, Nordic Documentary Short, International Narrative Feature, International Documentary Feature, International Narrative Short and International Documentary Short - will have a 'Best Of' prize. Jurors for the 2019 NIFF competitions include Norwegian actor Anders Baasmo Christensen; Danish Producer/Director team of Alexander Brøndsted and Antonio Tublen; Actors Richard Thomas, Tony Plana, Craig Di Francia; Film Progammers/Industry Executives/Journalists including David Schwartz, Amir Bogen, Aaron Hillis, Anne-Katrin Titze, Adam Schartoff and others.

Two Special Awards will be presented at this year's NIFF - The Nordic Film Grand Prize, which will be comprised of a one week inspirational trip to the Faroe Islands; and the International Film Grand Prize will be comprised of a one week inspirational trip to Finland, sponsored by Business Finland Audiovisual Production Incentive.

NIFF's Official Media Partner, Variety, will present both the opening night film and party, Anna Odell's East Coast premiere of X&Y, and the closing night block of Nordic Shorts and party.

The full complement of films are included in the attached 'Official Selection' document.

Panels, Parties, Schedule and additional films and programs shall follow.

Sponsors and Partners for the 5th Nordic International Film Festival include the Consulates of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, Roxy Cinema & Hotel, Variety, Film I Väst, Fotografiska, Blue Point, Swedish Match, Secret Eyewear Project, The Nordics, Business Finland Audiovisual Production Incentive, Goodio, and L:A Brucket.

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