The Danish films Speed Walking (Kapgang) by Niels Arden Oplev, Someone You Love (En du elsker) by Pernille Fischer Christensen - both supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond - and Sorrow and Joy (Sorg og glæde) by Nils Malmros have just been announced by the Danish Film Institute as Danish shortlisted candidates for the 2015 Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The three films were selected by the DFI and local film industry organisations among 18 feature films and four documentaries. 

Set in provincial Denmark in the mid-70s, Speed Walking is a coming of age film based on a novel by Morten Kirkskov. Nordisk Film will release it domestically on August 28. 

Michael Persbrandt’s vehicle Someone You Love had its world premiere in Berlin and won the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival last June. It’s the third biggest Danish success of 2014 so far. Malmros’ most personal film Sorrow and Joy had its world premiere in Rome and sold a total of 272,181 cinema tickets in Denmark.

Both Speed Walking and Sorrow and Joy were produced by Thomas Heinesen for Nordisk Film Production while Someone You Love was produced by Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Vinca Wiedemann for Zentropa. The three films are sold internationally by TrustNordisk.

The official Danish Oscar candidate will be announced on September 18, 2014. 

The rest of the Nordic candidates and shortlisted films will be announced between next week and mid-September.
Watch out for our interview with Niels Arden Oplev to be published on August 29.