Norwegian dream
Fiction work
Robert (19), a Polish immigrant working at a fish factory in Norway, has come to earn money to pay off his mother’s debts. Robert realizes he has feelings for his colleague Ivar (19). For fear of losing his position within a group of Poles at the factory, he hides his feelings, especially when it turns out that Ivar is doing vogue, and is an aspiring drag queen.
Director’s statement:
While working with stories in the films I make, I am always inspired by the reality surrounding me, but then I filter the stories I find, through my own experiences and emotions. I want to make the audience cry, laugh and think. Together with a really amazing cast and crew, we tell the story about how love is blind and that to truly love another person, firstly you need to accept, love and stand up for yourself.
GENRE: Coming of Age, Drama DIRECTOR: Leiv Igor Devold PRODUCERS: Håvard Wettland Gossé, Bartek Gliński, Lennart Lenzing PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Spætt Film, Solo Film, Riva Film PRODUCTION YEAR: 2023 BUDGET: 1 046 655,169 EUR German distribution: Salzgeber Norwegian distribution: Storytelling Media
WORLD SALES: True Colors
Pitched at co-production markeds or WIP in: Marché de films (Cannes), Nordic Film Marked (Gøteborg film festival), New Nordic Films (Norwegian film festival, Haugesund), Polish Days (New Horizons, Wroclaw 2020 and 2022), Eastern promises (Karlove Vary), Coco Pitch (Cottbus) as well as New Talent Strand (BFI London).
Festivals:
Opening film, Kosmorama International Film Festival, Norway - Norwegian premiere
OFF Camera, Cracow, Poland - Polish premiere
Inside Out, Toronto, Canada - International premiere
Frameline47, San Francisco, USA - US premiere
Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, Poland
Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway
Iris Prize LGBTQ+ film festival, Wales, UK premiere
The International Filmfest Emden-Norderney, German premiere
Nordishe Filmtage Lübeck, Germany
Koszalin Film Debut Festival "Young and film", Poland
Filmfest Hamburg, Germany
MIX Copenhagen LesbianGayBiTransQueer+ Film Festival
Chéries-Chéris, Festival du Film Lesbien, Gay, Bi, Trans & ++++ de Paris, France
43d Noordelijk film festival, The Netherlands.
36th Image+Nation Culture Queer, Montreal, Canada
Two Rivesides BNP PARIABAS, Poland
Toffifest, Torun, Poland
Seoul International Pride FIlm Festival, South Korea
25th Film by the sea festival, The Netherlands
Out On Film, Atlanta LGBT FIlm Festival, USA
OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fort Lauderdale, USA
Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, USA
Nordic Pride Film Day - Shanghai China
International Queer Film Festival Merlinka - Serbia
Queer Screen's 31st Mardi Gras Film Festival - Australia
Queer Film Festival - Salzgeber - screenings in 12 cities in Germany and Austria
Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival, Australia
10th Polish film festival in Fredrikstad, Norway
Reel Affirmations International LGBTIQ+ film festival, Washington DC, USA
The 41st Chicago LGBT+ International Film Festival Reeling2023, Chicago, USA
Twisted Arts, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
18th Festival CINÉMARGES, Bordeaux, France
7th Festival Ciné Friendly - Festival Normand Du Cinéma LGBTQIA+, Rouen, France
Cineworld Recklinghausen Kirchliches Film Festival, Germany
Borderlines Film Festival, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Powys and Worcestershire, UK
42nd International Film Festival of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
26th Cinema on the border, Cieszyn, Poland
ReelQ Pittsburg LGBT film festival, Pittsburg, US
Queer Movie Nights, Athens, Greece
14th Zinetiendo, Zaragossa International Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Bisexual, Queer and Intersex Film Festival, Spain
Annual Aarhus Film Festival, Denmark
31st PRIDE PICTURES Queer Filmfestival Karlsruhe, Germany
Atlantida Mallorca Film Fest, Spain
11th Umeå European Film Festival, Sweden
31st Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sidney, Australia
... and more.
Awards:
Best cinematography to Patryk Kin, at Koszalin Film Debut Festival "Young and film", Poland
Best male performance to Hubert Miłkowski, Iris Prize LGBTQ+ film festival, UK
Best Youth Film, in Cineworld Recklinghausen Kirchliches Film Festival, Youth Jury, Germany
Nominations:
Best male actor, director and script at Norwegian Film Award Amanda, at Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund
Best debut film at Frameline Film Festival, San Francisco, US
Best debut at Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto, Canada
Best male actor at OFF CAMERA film festival in Cracow
DGB award at the International Filmfest Emden-Norderney in Germany
SCORE film award at the International Filmfest Emden-Norderney in Germany
The film has been screened in regular screenings in Norwegian cinemas selling around 12 000 tickets. Cinema release in Germany, US, Holland, Czech republic, Poland and Austria. Also sold to Spain, UK, Belgium, France and Canada. The film is released on DVD in the UK, Germany and the US, and more DVD releases coming up.
The film is released on HBO MAX in Central and Eastern Europe.
For any inquires regarding this project please contact the producer: Håvard Wettland Gossé +47 988 78 923 havard@spaett.no
International sales agent: True Colors
Festivals: Norwegian Film Institute: Stine Oppegaard, mail: stine.oppegaard[@]nfi.no