Patrik Eklund's short film Seeds of the Fall (Slitage) and Jenifer Malmqvist's Birthday (Födelsedag) have been selected to compete in January's upcoming Sundance Film Festival. Patrik Eklund's previous film, Instead of Abracadabra (Istället för Abrakadabra) has also been shortlisted for an Oscars nomination.
Patrik Eklund. Photo: Fredrik Zillén, Filmnyheterna.se
Seeds of the Fall received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, picking up the prestigious Critics' Week award, the Grand Prix Canal+. The film is a drama comedy about a middle-aged couple, Rolf and Eva, their jaded relationship and Eva's sexual frustration. When her attempts at seduction fail, their relationship suddenly undergoes a brutal change. Seeds of the Fall stars Anki Larsson and Jakob Nordenson, and the cast also includes Svante Grundberg, Daniel Rudstedt and Camilla Larsson.
Written and directed by Patrik Eklund, with David Grehn behind the camera, the film was produced by Mathias Fjellström, Direktörn & Fabrikörn in partnership with Filmpool Nord, SVT and Film i Västerbotten with support from the Swedish Film Institute's former commissioner, Anne-Marie Söhrman Fermelin.
Patrik Eklund's previous film, Instead of Abracadabra, has been shortlisted for an Oscars nomination in the Live Action Short Films category. Of ten films on the list, five will be selected and announced at a press conference on 2 February 2010 at Hollywood's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Instead of Abracadabra picked up the 2008 Startsladden prize and was nominated for a Swedish Guldbagge award. The film was also in competition at last year's Sundance Festival to wide critical acclaim.
Second time too at Sundance for Jenifer Malmqvist
Jenifer Malmqvist. Photo: André de Loiste
Jenifer Malmqvist is another Swedish director competing with a short film at Sundance. A student at the legendary Lodz film school in Poland, her graduation film Birthday has been selected for the festival. Like Eklund, Malmqvist is no newcomer in this context: her short film Peace Talk (I fred) competed at the 2007 Sundance Festival, and this summer Jenifer Malmqvist was awarded the prestigious Bo Widerberg stipendium.
In Birthday we meet Sara, who wants to give her partner Katarina a birthday surprise. But Katarina has a surprise for Sara too. Sara's happiness is mixed with frustration as she tries to come to terms with the unexpected news at the same time as coping with the party guests. Birthday is a coproduction between the Lodz Film School, Good World AB and Botnia Film – with support from both Film i Skåne and Film i Västerbotten.