Scandinavian Film Festival ticket giveaway

The 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival is just about to kick off in Melbourne with a huge line-up of films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The breadth of cinema on offer is extensive – choose from dramas or comedies with unique storylines, including a number of award-winning Danish films that will debut this year. It’s a great opportunity to step outside the US/British bubble we often find ourselves in when it comes to enjoying cinema.

Milk Bar Mag was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the festival at a screening of Norwegian film, What Will People Say. The semi-autobiographical film from Iram Haq sees fifteen-year-old Nisha, removed from her life as a mildly rebellious Norwegian teen by her very conservative Pakistani parents and shipped off to live with relatives in Pakistan. The heart-wrenching drama sees the struggles of a young woman torn between two cultures, and the generational conflicts between her and her parents. What Will People Say is an emotional film to make many Australians think about the synergies between multicultural Norway and the challenges many first- and second-generation Australians face trying to balance local culture and values with the expectations of their migrant families. Hopefully it’s less extreme than Nisha’s story!

Some other highlights include a tale of a Finnish heavy metal band leaving their small town to go to a music festival (Heavy Trip); a story of two awkward entrepreneurs looking to make their fortune breeding and selling St. Bernard dogs in China (The Saint Bernard Syndicate); a thrilling mystery of a young girl who discovers she may have supernatural powers (Thelma); and an ode to Scandinavia’s most loved director, Ingmar Bergman (Bergman Revisited).

If you’re after a next-level Scandi film exerpience, there are a few special screening options. Opening night will see the premiere of Icelandic black comedy, Under the Tree, followed by an after-party celebration with drinks, featuring Nordic flavours, sparkling elderflower cocktails and entertainment. Opening night is on Thursday, 12 July at 6.30pm and tickets are $45 per person ($40 for Palace Movie Club Members). Palace Westgarth are putting on pre-show cocktails for the premiere of Swedish film Amateurs on Wednesday, 18 July at 6.30 pm. Cocktail party tickets are $30 per person ($25 for Palace Movie Club Members). Finally, if you want to get up close and personal with the filmmakers, director Medhi and star Julie Christensen will be at the Australian premiere of the award-winning Danish drama While We Live to participate in a special Q and A at Palace Como on Friday, 13 July at 6.30 pm.

To make the brutal winter a little bit better, we are eager to share 10 FREE double passes to the 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival! How can you get your hot little hands on these tickets? Email ross@milkbarmag.com with the subject line “Scandinavian film festival giveaway”, telling us in the email which film you’d like to see the most.

The Scandinavian Film Festival kicks off in Melbourne this Thursday, 12 July at participating Palace Cinemas.

Scandinavian Film Festival 2018
Thursday, 12 to Sunday, 29 July 2018
Participating Palace Cinemas
scandinavianfilmfestival.com