Quiet week for releases ahead of Oscar night

Check out the nominees of 2030 at the short film festival

Sunday evening sees Hollywood’s 87th annual glitterfest arrive with one of the strongest selections of nominated films in recent memory.

Studio politics and industry favourites mean the results can lean towards mediocrity, with inexplicable omissions from the nominations. It’s difficult to predict on quality of content alone, but impossible to deny the weight a win will carry. It is, with the exception of Cannes’ Palme d’Or, the world’s most coveted film prize.

The buzz surrounding Michael Keaton’s comeback in Birdman is deafening – while in Danish cinemas we’ve seen Boyhood, which remains my favourite for Best Director and Best Picture and Foxcatcher for which Steve Carrell has received a Best Actor nomination and Mark Ruffalo a much deserved nod for Best Supporting Actor. The Polish-Danish film Ida and Russia’s Leviathan lead the nominations for Best Foreign Film.

This week sees our last pre-Oscar release at the cinemas with Whiplash, which is nominated for Best Picture and reviewed in this issue.

Elsewhere, Cinemateket continues with a season of works by British horrormeister Clive Barker, while an exhibition of his paintings accompanies the films over at Nørrebro’s Galeri Oxholm.

There’s also a four-day event (Thursday to Sunday) of Kurdish cinema that kicks off with festival favourite Song of my Mother on Thursday at 20:30.

Nigar, an ageing mother in Istanbul longs to return to her home village after being forced to leave during ethnic clashes in the 1990s. Her son, on the other hand, is quite settled in the big city and refuses to return home with her. See dfi.dk/Filmhuset for details. All films are subtitled in English.

Huset joins forces with Goethe-Institut Dänemark to play host to the Copenhagen Short Film Festival. The event also runs from Thursday to Sunday and showcases many international, award-winning shorts in various disciplines and genres.

Prices are 50kr per program of shorts and 75kr per night (two programs) with a festival pass costing 250kr. See huset-kbh.dk for details. 




  • Everything you need to know about Greenland’s upcoming elections 

    Everything you need to know about Greenland’s upcoming elections 

    During an unprecedented time in the global spotlight, Greenland will hold a general election focusing on the struggle for independence, its economy, and its international relations.

  • Danish NGOs on thin ice: The Greenland dispute’s hidden risks for aid

    Danish NGOs on thin ice: The Greenland dispute’s hidden risks for aid

    Danish humanitarian and development organizations rely significantly on funding from institutional donors. Among these, USAID and other U.S.-based donors, contribute a substantial portion of funding to Danish NGOs operating internationally.

  • Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair has increased its cuts from the Billund-Aalborg route to encompass its entire operation to and from Billund Airport. The airline’s scarce communication is leaving both the airport and passengers scrambling for answers.

  • What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    As tradition has it, many Danes take a week off for Vinterferie next week. Or the week after. It’s a bit confusing, especially since Christmas and New Year’s Holiday are not far away. What’s going on?

  • The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    Denmark offers free public education, but private schools and universities for non-EU students require tuition. Language is a barrier, with international schools available for children and limited English-taught university programs. In 2024, Denmark expanded university seats for internationals and introduced an HF-international program in Aarhus.

  • Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF-international program in August, offering young adult internationals an alternative to IB programs with a focus on career-oriented education and Danish language learning. Unlike IB, it reduces academic pressure while providing access to vocational schools and professional bachelor’s degrees