Johannessen listed among 10 Nordic Talents to Track by Variety
Selected at Norway’s Haugesund Fest, Variety takes its pick of the Scandinavian elite, listing 10 Nordic talents you ought to know – among them screenwriter Bjørn Olaf Johannessen. Best known for the original screenplay of Wim Wender’s Every Thing Will Be Fine (2015), which played at Norway’s Haugesund Fest’s main program, he has also penned Erik Skjoeldberg’s coming drama Pyromaniac. The critically acclaimed comedy drama series Trial of Life (2014) co-written with Per Schreiner and Erlend Loe for NRK, was nominated for the 2014 Prix Europa and awarded the 2015 Golden Screen.
‘Midnight Sun’ published in Norway
The highly anticipated follow-up to Jo Nesbø’s Blood on Snow has just been published in Norway. Midnight Sun tells the story of Ulf, a secretive stranger seeking refuge in a small village in the far north. He claims to be there for the hunting. Among the native Sami and the Læstadians, adherents of an old-fashioned form of Christianity, he discovers a culture that is both hospitable and exclusive, helpful and unfamiliar. The village sexton, Lea, lends him a rifle and a hunting cabin, where the midnight sun keeps him awake as he restlessly keeps watch on the monotonous expanse of the Finnmark plain. Slowly it dawns on Lea and her son Knut that Ulf isn’t a hunter but someone else’s prey. And that the hunters are on their way.
‘Acquitted’ nominated at the Seoul International Drama Awards
Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen’s original TV series Acquitted (Frikjent) has been nominated in three categories at the 2015 Seoul International Drama Awards, including for the ‘Best Screenwriter’ and ‘Best Mini Series’ Awards.
The Sunday Times lists the 60 best thrillers and crime novels of the past six years
The Sunday Times has listed the 60 best thrillers and crime novels of the past six years. The list includes four of Salomonsson Agency’s authors: Liza Marklund (Borderline), Roslund & Hellström (Cell 8), Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Someone to Watch over Me) and Leif GW Persson (Falling Freely, as if in a Dream).
‘The Bomb Maker and his Woman’ No. 1 in Sweden
Leif GW Persson’s latest novel The Bomb Maker and his Woman has rushed to the No. 1 spot on the Swedish bestseller list. The stand-alone novel features Lisa Mattei as its protagonist, a familiar face from the author’s earlier works.
‘Made in Sweden’ podcast released
Listen to the story of how three brothers grew up to become Sweden’s most wanted criminals, as told by fourth brother Stefan Thunberg and crime journalist-turned-author Anders Roslund. Available for download in iTunes, the six-episode audio series reveals the real-life story that inspired the author duo’s bestselling novel, Made in Sweden.
‘Brothers in Arms’ nominated for a ‘Cartoon D’Or’
Animated short film Brothers in Arms (Orig. title Våbenbrødre) written by Christoffer Örnfelt has been nominated for the ‘Best European Animated Film’ award at the 2015 Cartoon D’Or, the pan-European award for animation short films.
Watch the teaser for TV4’s upcoming TV-series ‘Modus’
Here is a first look at the upcoming must-see TV-series Modus. Based on the novel Fear Not by Anne Holt and produced by Miso Film, the spine-chilling series is set to air on TV4 this fall. Modus, directed by Lisa Siwe (The Bridge), will follow criminal psychologist Inger Johanne Vik and her young daughter, the witness of a murder. The star-studded cast will include Melinda Kinnaman – to play the protagonist Vik – Johan Widerberg and Henrik Norlén, to name just a few.
‘Iron Blood’ No. 1 in Sweden
Liza Marklund’s critically acclaimed Iron Blood, the eleventh and final novel featuring crime reporter Annika Bengtzon, has soared to No. 1 on the Swedish bestseller list.
‘Acquitted’ writers and director open up about a second season
Following the release of the series’ final episode, Acquitted’s director Geir Henning opened up about his hopes for a second season of the hit drama. The screenwriter duo behind the award nominated series, Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen, have likewise revealed that they are ready to continue the production: “We need to have a story to tell, and we think that we do now. It’s something that we’ve been thinking about for a long time.”