‘The Cult’ published in Denmark

Former detective Thomas “Ravn” Ravnsholt is trying to move on with his life after the murder of his girlfriend. He is approached by director Ferdinand Mesmer, a prominent businessman, with what appears to be a simple job: find Mesmer’s son Jakob. Ten years ago, Jakob founded the cult God’s Chosen and disappeared. Now, his father wants to track him down.

The Cult is a chilling tale of a closed-off world with its own set of rules, and the secret past that now threatens its existence. It is the third instalment in Michael Katz Krefeld’s immensely popular series about former detective Thomas “Ravn” Ravnsholt.

Photo: Linnéa Pettersson

New Screenwriter – Malin Lagerlöf

Screenwriter and playwright Malin Lagerlöf (b.1968) began her career writing for the stage, and has crafted more than a dozen plays for theatres around Sweden. Lagerlöf’s career in film and TV took off in 1999 when she wrote the feature film Vägen Ut, which was nominated for a Guldbagge at the 1999 Official Swedish Film Awards in the category ‘Best screenplay’. The success was quickly followed by the popular feature films Hans och Hennes (2001) and Miffo (2003). Known for her diversity as a writer, Lagerlöf easily moves between writing for the stage, feature film, and TV series such as Wallander (2013) and the acclaimed Bibliotekstjuven (2011), nominated for a 2011 Kristallen Award in the category ‘Best Drama Series’.

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Photo: Appendix fotografi

New Screenwriters – Matthew Reeve and Anna Lo Westlin

Matthew Reeve (b. 1979) is an American screenwriter, director and producer based in Stockholm. His debut film, the documentary Hope in Motion (2003), was nominated for an Emmy in the category ‘Best Non-Fiction Special’, and short-listed for a Bafta in the category ‘Best Television Single Documentary’. The film and its sequel, Choosing Hope (2004), were released on DVD in 2007.

Anna Lo Westlin (b.1984) is a screenwriter, director and producer based in Stockholm, Sweden. Westlin began her film career in New York as a Production Associate for Killer Films, working on movies such as I’m Not There (2007), Savage Grace (2007) and Then She Found Me (2007). She soon moved on to working as a manager of finance and later as an acquisitions executive at renowned film distribution company Magnolia Pictures. In 2014, Anna Lo received the Ingmar Bergman residency scholarship and has most recently written and directed the short drama thriller Ladies Who Lunch (2016).

Matthew Reeve and Anna Lo Westlin write separately as well as a duo.

Oscar nominated Morten Tyldum acquires the film rights to Bobbie Peers’ ‘William Wenton’

The film rights to Bobbie Peers’ William Wenton and the Luridium Thief have just been acquired by Oscar nominated film director Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) in a preemptive deal.

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‘Norma’ No. 1 in Finland

Sofi Oksanen’s highly anticipated new novel Norma has gone straight to No. 1 on the official bestseller list in Finland. The stand-alone novel is a dark family drama with fantastical undertones, and introduces yet another facet of Oksanen’s authorship.

Photo: Appendix Fotografi

New Screenwriter – Simon Stålenhag

The acclaimed artist, concept designer and author of Ur Varselklotet (2014) Simon Stålenhag (b. 1984) is best known for his highly imaginative images and stories portraying illusive sci-fi phenomena in mundane, hyper-realistic Scandinavian landscapes. Ur Varselklotet was ranked by The Guardian as one of the ‘10 Best Dystopias’, where it is joined by works such as Franz Kafka’s The Trial and Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca.

Not only have Stålenhag’s unique and cinematic images earned him a worldwide fan base, but have also made him a go-to storyteller, concept artist and illustrator for both the film and computer gaming industry. Simon Stålenhag’s work can be seen in films such as Searching for Sugarman (2012), directed by Malik Bendjeloull, and in games such as Ripple Dot Zero (2013).