Loveable wins big at Karlovy Vary
Film wins an impressive five awards at 58th film festival edition
KARLOVY VARY, 6 July 2024 - Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s feature debut Loveable (Elskling), which received its world premiere as part of the Crystal Globe main competition, won an impressive five awards at the closing ceremony of this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. As well as the Special Jury Prize and the Award for Best Actress (for Helga Guren), the film received the Europa Cinemas Label Jury Award, the FIPRESCI Jury Award, and the Ecumenical Jury Award.
Without any doubt the big winner of this year’s 58th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Loveable, written, directed and edited by Lilja Ingolfsdottir, tells the story of Maria (42) who must come to terms when her husband announces that he wants a divorce. It is the story of a woman's opportunity for self-recognition, growth, and acceptance of the dysfunctional patterns within herself.
Helga Guren, Oddgeir Thune, Heidi Gjermundsen Broch, Marte Magnusdotter Solem, Elisabeth San, and Maja Tothammer-Hruza share the major roles. Øystein Mamen is the cinematographer.
From its Karlovy Vary world premiere screening, Loveable was the talk of the town. The film received a five minute-long standing ovation from the audience, while the press praised Ingolfsdottir’s direction and the acting performances by both Guren and Oddgeir Thune.
'The Hollywood Reporter' wrote that “Ingolfsdottir reveals a keen insight into human behaviour throughout the film, which is littered with memorable moments,” and called Guren’s performance “mesmerising”. 'Variety' added that her acting is “credible and compelling” and said the film “takes a continually surprising approach to characterization.” 'Collider' called Loveable “an astute, tender, and unflinching portrait of what it is to hate who you are and how we can grow to love the person we can never leave.” 'RogerEbert.com' concluded that Loveable “is simply too lovely to be ignored.”
'The Hollywood Reporter' wrote that “Ingolfsdottir reveals a keen insight into human behaviour throughout the film, which is littered with memorable moments,” and called Guren’s performance “mesmerising”.
By winning both the Special Jury Award (worth US$ 15,000) and the Best Actress Award, Loveable takes home the maximum of two main awards the jury is allowed to attribute to one film in competition. Additionally, the film won all of the three so-called “non-statutory jury awards”. The FIPRESCI Jury Award, given by the international press attending the festival, the Ecumenical Jury Award, and finally the Europa Cinemas Label Jury Award. The Label is awarded to a European film by a jury of Europa Cinemas exhibitors at five European festivals with the aim of increasing its promotion, circulation and exhibition lifespan of the winning film. Previous winners include such Oscar nominated titles as The Broken Circle Breakdown, The Teachers Lounge, and Corpus Christi.
Loveable is Lilja Ingolfsdottir's feature film debut. After training at the London International Film School and the Prague film school Famu, she made several award-winning shorts, including Neglect.
Produced by Thomas Robsahm (of the Oscar nominated The Worst Person in the World) for Nordisk Film Production A/S and Amarcord, the film was supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, where it was part of the Neo Talent Programme, and the Nordic Film & TV Fund.
Neo is aimed at film directors and series creators who want to debut in longer formats, encouraging and cultivating strong storytelling voices and artistic courage.
Local distributor Nordisk Film Distribution plans to release the film in Norway on 11 October, while TrustNordisk handles international sales. Just prior to the world premiere screening, TrustNordisk announced the first sales to Benelux, the former Yugoslavia, Lithuania and Estonia, with negotiations underway for several other territories.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Loveable presskit 8 OK onsdag rettelser.pdf
PDF 8.8 MB
For more information on festival screening availabilities, or about the Norwegian Film Institute and its Neo Talent Programme, please contact Stine Oppegaard.
Christian De Schutter
