Charades has scooped up international sales rights to “Shorta,” the buzzed-about Danish project that was presented at Les Arcs’s work-in-progress and Goteborg’s Nordic Film Market.
“Shorta,” directed by Frederik Louis Hviid and Anders Ølholm, unfolds in the aftermath of the killing of 19-year-old Talib Ben Hassi while in custody. The film follows two police officers, Jens and Mike, who are on routine patrol in a minority-heavy neighborhood when news of Talib’s death breaks, igniting a violent riot. Suddenly, the two officers find themselves trapped and must fight to find a way out.
The action-packed film, which deals with racism and police brutality in Denmark, has been compared by industry participants at both Les Arcs and Goteborg as similar to Ladj Ly’s Oscar-nominated “Les Miserables.” The film is produced by Toolbox Film (“The Hunt”) and could potentially make its world premiere at Cannes. “Shorta” will be distributed in Denmark by Scanbox Entertainment Danmark.
“‘Shorta’ represents a new voice for action films in Europe, and a new voice addressing the flaws of modern society through a genre that will appeal young audiences,” said Yohann Comte, co-founder of Charades.
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The movie marks the feature debut of Ølholm, who previously wrote the scripts for the superhero trilogy “Antboy,” and Hviid, whose short film “Halfman” won a prize at Cannes Lions in 2017.
At the EFM, Charades is hosting the market premieres of Sebastien Demoustier’s “The Girl With a Bracelet” and Bruno Merle’s “Felicita.” The company will also unveil promos of “The Speech,” “The Rose Maker” and “Madeleine Collins.”