Jesper Ganslandt’s Swedish drama “Jimmie” is set to open the 35th edition of Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR).
Currently in post-production, the film won the Eurimages Lab Project Award at Haugesund Film Festival in 2016.
Starring Ganslandt and his son Hunter, “Jimmie” is told through the eyes of a 4-year old boy who has to go on a journey with his father to a safer land, leaving his mother at home in Sweden. Ganslandt said in interviews that “Jimmie” is inspired by real accounts of refugees living away from home and is meant to give audiences a child’s perspective on the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.
“Jimmie” marks Ganslandt’s fourth film, following “Falkenberg Farewell,” “The Ape” which played at Toronto Film Festival and “Blondie” which played at Venice Days (along with “The Ape”).
Reacting to the selection of “Jimmie” on opening night, Ganslandt said the “film has been both the most challenging film and the most cross boundary project (he has) ever worked on.”
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“The fact that Rotterdam, known for selecting films which traverse into new, ground-breaking territory, has chosen Jimmie to kick off the festival makes it the perfect location for the film’s world premiere, added the director.
“Jimmie” is produced by Juan Pablo Libossart, Hedvig Lundgren and Jesper Kurlandsky at Fasad. The movie has been backed by the Swedish Film Institute.
TriArt Film will release the film in April in Sweden, following its local premiere at Goteborg Film Festival later this month.
Rotterdam will take place Jan. 24 to Feb.4.
