Tuva Novotny Wins New Talent Grand PIX

Tuva Novotny has been named winner of the New Talent Grand PIX, the main prize at CPH PIX (27 September to 10 October), for her debut feature Blind Spot (Blindsone) which earned Pia Tjelta the Silver Shell at San Sebastian.

Blind Spot follows a mother who struggles to understand the crisis her daughter is going through. In so doing, the movie highlights the grey zones in mental illness, the blind spots that are hard to discover, and in so doing places a spotlight on mental health care for Norwegian youths.

The jury said in its deliberation: “It is a rare event where a film’s vision and execution go completely hand in hand with the theme and story, and create a powerful alliance where no one can escape this experience. This film captivated us all with it’s form, unique director’s vision, and incredible performance of its lead actress.

A special mention was also given to Rasmus Kloster Bro for Cutterhead, in which an office worker takes refuge in an airlock with miners and, as they rely on each other to survive, are confronted by different world views that force them to re-evaluate their lives:

“The jury would like to extend a special mention to director Rasmus Kloster Bro… for creating a Hitchcockian pressure chamber that pumps the adrenaline and stokes the claustrophobia of its audience. A very physical experience that left us wanting more visions from this director.”