Darkland Director Honoured At 2017 Isbjørnen Awards

Director Fenar Ahmad has been awarded the Nordisk Film Prize at the inaugural Isbjørnen awards, in a ceremony hosted by actress Birgitte Hjort Sørensen (Borgen) at Nordisk Film’s studios in Valby.

Ahmed’s 2014 debut feature Flow (Ækte Vare) was widely praised, but it was Darkland (Underverden), starring Dar Salim, which really made his name. With five star reviews and 180,000 box office tickets sold, it became one of the biggest films of the year.

The jury said: “His film is smooth and saturated with blood, sweat and tears. He enjoys and loves to entertain his audience, and through his films he opens doors to a parallel reality in our society… He likes to tell epic stories, at a fast pace and with a big beating heart.”

Meanwhile, the Ove Sprogøe Prize has been awarded to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who has had an excellent year. With a critically acclaimed performance in 3 Things, a starring role in Shot Caller, and a seventh season as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones, he has proved himself to be a versatile actor with truly international credentials.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau said: “I was very surprised when I was told about the prize. Ove Sprogøe is a hero to me and many Danish actors, and I grew up with his performances. And seeing his work is still a great source of inspiration for me. To get this prize in my 25th anniversary as an actor makes me really happy.”

Finally, the Erik Balling Award was presented to production designer Sabine Hviid, whose work includes Darkland (2017), The Day Will Come (2016), Shelley (2016), Antboy 3 (2016), and When Animals Dream (2014).

The jury said: “Sabine Hviid has a special ability to meet the audience at eye level. Her attention to the overall appearance of a film and its finest details mean that (she) has the rare ability to create worlds that are not only true to the film, but also a work within the work.”