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In the catchy Scandi-pop song that plays over the end credits of Sauna, Anton Falck’s “All the Pretty Boys,” the singer fantasizes about being prince charming in a world of beautiful men, immune from rejection. From the outside, that dream might seem attainable for Johan, a recent transplant to Copenhagen who has come to the big city to live more openly as a young gay man. His job working the reception desk at Adonis, a cruisy male-only bathhouse, surrounds him with the sounds, the smells and the sweaty physical sensations of sex and desire.

Even the more squalid side of Johan’s work — mopping sticky floors and wiping down vinyl mattresses and glory holes between shifts, when the dim lighting of operating hours makes way for fluorescents — seems tolerable when weighed against the instant gratification of anonymous backroom hookups, one-night stands and hedonistic queer clubbing. Those pleasures presumably were...

The beloved annual Provincetown International Film Festival (Piff) is having a big moment with its buzzy 2025 lineup. IndieWire can announce that leading horror auteur Ari Aster will be honored with the Filmmaker on the Edge title at the festival, which will take place from June 11 to 15 in Provincetown, Ma.

Aster will be in Provincetown to receive the award and participate in conversation with resident artist John Waters on Saturday, June 14, ahead of the nationwide release of his new film “Eddington” on July 18. The secretive 2020-set dark comedy “Eddington” will debut at Cannes; the feature reunites Aster with his “Beau Is Afraid” star Joaquin Phoenix, as well as Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Clifton Collins Jr., and more.

“Ari Aster’s films weave grief, beauty and dread into unforgettable cinematic experiences,” Anne Hubbell, Piff’s Executive Director, said in a press statement. “We’re excited to welcome Ari...

Danish queer sex drama “Sauna,” a Sundance Festival hit, has closed its first significant international market deals, sales house TrustNordisk licensing North America to Breaking Glass, Germany to Salzgeber & Co Medien and Spain to Filmin.

Nordisk Film Distribution will bow “Sauna” in Denmark on April 24.

The sales underscore an early pattern in early 2025 international deal-making. much driven by genre, animation, star auteurs and also breakout auteurs playing off “A” fest acclaim. Given the relative rapidity of the deals, more will be in the offing.

“We are incredibly proud of the international journey ‘Sauna’ is taking,” said TrustNordisk Managing Director Susan Wendt. “It’s truly wonderful to see this bold, honest and deeply human story resonating with audiences beyond Denmark. With key sales to North America, Germany, and Spain, ‘Sauna’ proves that powerful and authentic voices from Danish cinema can travel far and touch hearts across borders.”

The sales deals also...

When the third annual Sunny Bunny Lgbtqia+ film festival opens in Kyiv on April 18, it will do so in the face of a severe funding crisis due to the cancellation of financial support from Usaid by US president Donald Trump.

Usaid’s ‘Transformation Communications Activity’ programme previously cooperated with the Ukrainian government, private sector and civil society to strengthen Ukraine’s democracy. One of the beneficiaries was Sunny Bunny, an event which evolved in 2023 out of the queer film strand of the city’s long running Molodist Film Festival.

“The main challenge has been the budget,” says festival director Bohdan Zhuk...

The Copenhagen sauna and sex club where Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) works is called Adonis, and he does his best to represent the brand. Tall, toned and tan, with a center-parted mop of wavy blond hair, he’s the very picture of Scandi male beauty — and a gay man who has never had his desirability questioned or challenged by others. It’s a privilege he must finally reckon with when he falls for William (Nina Rask), a trans man still finding his place in a masculine sphere that isn’t always accepting of his body or his desires. A thoughtful, tactile debut feature by Danish writer-director Mathias Broe, “Sauna” traces the awkward, formative romance that ensues between these two unexpectedly matched lovers, and is at no great pains to suggest they’re soulmates.

A director of several queer-themed short films whose nonfiction title “Amfi” won a Danish Academy Award in...

Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The day when we shot two big party scenes for the film at two iconic Copenhagen clubs was a very memorable day for me. More than 300 people showed up to show support and attended to make the scenes feel as real and energetic as possible. Afterwards I was filled with so much pride […]

The post “People Are Willing to Show Up if You Create Something Important” | Mathias Broe, Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The day when we shot two big party scenes for the film at two iconic Copenhagen clubs was a very memorable day for me. More than 300 people showed up to show support and attended to make the scenes feel as real and energetic as possible. Afterwards I was filled with so much pride […]

The post “People Are Willing to Show Up if You Create Something Important” | Mathias Broe, Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Sauna tells the story of a budding romance between a cis man and a transgender man in Copenhagen that forces both of them to consider how they conceive of themselves in relation to how society positions them. The film, the debut feature of writer-director Mathias Broe, is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It is also the first producer credit for Mads-August Hertz, who offers reflections and insights on his biggest job yet and the difficulties of adapting novels below. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect […]

The post “We Had to Turn Everything Upside Down”: Producer Mads-August Hertz on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Sauna tells the story of a budding romance between a cis man and a transgender man in Copenhagen that forces both of them to consider how they conceive of themselves in relation to how society positions them. The film, the debut feature of writer-director Mathias Broe, is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It is also the first producer credit for Mads-August Hertz, who offers reflections and insights on his biggest job yet and the difficulties of adapting novels below. See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. Filmmaker: How did you connect […]

The post “We Had to Turn Everything Upside Down”: Producer Mads-August Hertz on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Mathias Broe’s feature debut Sauna tells the story of a man thriving in Copenhagen’s queer community who falls for a transgender man, upending his conception of himself. The film is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Linda Man served as editor for Sauna. Below, Man talks about restructuring the first act in order to capture the audience and keeping character psychology at the forefront. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes […]

The post “Keep Working with the Psychology of the Characters”: Editor Linda Man on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Mathias Broe’s feature debut Sauna tells the story of a man thriving in Copenhagen’s queer community who falls for a transgender man, upending his conception of himself. The film is part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Linda Man served as editor for Sauna. Below, Man talks about restructuring the first act in order to capture the audience and keeping character psychology at the forefront. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes […]

The post “Keep Working with the Psychology of the Characters”: Editor Linda Man on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

In Sauna, the care-free Johan falls for a transgender man, forcing him to confront his societal position with regard to gender and love. The film is the feature debut of Mathias Broe and screens as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Nicolai Lok served as the film’s cinematographer. Below, he explains his choice of camera and lenses and how Sauna‘s story provided room to explore visual ideas. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]

The post “Draw the Audience into Johan’s World”: Dp Nicolai Lok on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

In Sauna, the care-free Johan falls for a transgender man, forcing him to confront his societal position with regard to gender and love. The film is the feature debut of Mathias Broe and screens as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Nicolai Lok served as the film’s cinematographer. Below, he explains his choice of camera and lenses and how Sauna‘s story provided room to explore visual ideas. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]

The post “Draw the Audience into Johan’s World”: Dp Nicolai Lok on Sauna first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Love Me If You Dare: Broe Explores Love in a Hopeless Place

Harlan Ellison’s publication Love Ain’t Nothing But Sex Misspelled might be a more fitting title for Sauna, the directorial debut of Danish filmmaker Mathias Broe, in essence a queer narrative reconfiguring a familiar formula but utilizing a trans angle to reflect an eternal disconnect hampering parity in the intersectionalities of the LGBTQ+ community. While the film may seem to assert something is indeed rotten in the state of Denmark, Broe touches upon a universality which remains a historical reality on the inherent difficulty in seeking an emotional connection through non consensual sex.…...

Mathias Broe’s ‘Sauna’ is a groundbreaking film for Denmark, featuring its first trans lead, Nina Rask, in the role of William. Broe explained, “It’s the first time we have a trans person in a leading role in a feature film in Denmark. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made this movie.”

The film, which features both professional and non-professional queer actors, aims to authentically depict queer stories. Broe emphasized, “We have to create a real story with real human beings,” and the film explores themes of love and conflict within the queer community.

Rask stars alongside Magnus Juhl Andersen, who plays Johan, a receptionist at a gay sauna. Broe noted that creating a story about trans men in such spaces was important: “A sauna is a good place to explore such conflict because for a trans guy, it’s hard to access these spaces.” The movie also tackles the...

Mathias Broe’s “Sauna,” selected for World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance, is making history.

“It’s the first time we have a trans person in a leading role in a feature film in Denmark. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made this movie,” the debuting director tells Variety.

“We don’t have many trans actors in Denmark and in order to carry an entire feature, you need experience. That’s why we chose Nina Rask, who is trans-masc and a big comedian and actor,” Broe tells Variety.

“We ended up using non-professional queer actors in minor roles and did a lot of research within the community to make it as authentic as possible. Creating queer stories can be very tricky, you want to do everything right, but we had to say: ‘We’re not going to make a good film if we do everything ‘right.’ We have to create a...

Scandinavia’s heavyweight sales outfit TrustNordisk has picked up international rights to the “The Last Resort” by Maria Sødahl. The Norwegian writer-director’s previous drama “Hope,” starring Stellan Skarsgård and Andrea Bræin Hovig, earned her an Oscar shortlist berth in 2021.

In her first Danish pic, co-penned with Eske Troelstrup (“Shadow of Victory”) and Therese Hasman, top actors Danica Curcic” and Esben Smed” star as a couple, holidaying in an exclusive resort on a Spanish Island with their daughters. When a stranger suddenly approaches them and asks for help, they agree to assist him, but as he asks for more, they start fearing for their own safety.

“My previous films are shamelessly autobiographical,” Sødahl said. “The Last Resort” opens for a larger story with a more complex universe. A story where our Scandinavian protagonists start out as diplomatic humanists, until xenophobia leads them to act in full paranoia, primal and violence.

Goteborg Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its 48th edition, with 22 feature world premieres and four feature competition sections.

World premiere titles include Asier Urbieta’s Spanish thriller Pheasant Island in the international competition section. The debut feature from Spanish filmmaker Urbieta sees a young Basque couple’s relationship put to the test when a dead body is found on the mysterious titular island.

Scroll down for the feature competition sections

It is one of 18 films in the international competition, alongside 2024 festival favourites Santosh, To A Land Unknown and All We Imagine As Light.

The nine-strong Nordic competition includes three world premieres.

Scandinavia’s biggest film-tv event, the Göteborg Film Festival, has unveiled the complete lineup for its 48th edition, due to unspool Jan. 24-Feb. 2 in Sweden’s second largest city.

For her first gig as artistic director, Pia Lundberg and her team will be treating the festival’s usual 270,000-plus film fans in theaters and online to a rich program of 270 films from 83 countries, including 25 world premieres.

Setting the tone for this year’s overarching theme of “Disobedience” and civil resistance will be the opening film “Safe House” by Norwegian helmer Eirik Svensson starring “Sick of Myself”’s Kristine Kujath Thorp and “Gladiator 2”’s Alexander Karim. Based on the real-life story of Doctors Without Borders’ Director General in Norway Lindin Hurum, the story is set in a refugee camp during the 2013 civil war in the Central African Republic. Norwegian aid worker Linn is under severe pressure as she strives to...

Nordic sales powerhouse TrustNordisk is launching international sales on queer sex drama Sauna, which has begun filming this month in Denmark.

Set in the Copenhagen queer community, the film follows Johan, a young man who believes he can find community working in a gay sauna, and who then falls in love when he meets transgender William.

It is the feature debut for Danish director Mathias Broe, who wrote the film with William Lippert based on Mads Ananda Lodahl’s novel of the same name.

Mads-August Hertz is producing for Nordisk Film Production with support from the New Danish Screen at the Danish Film Institute,...

This year’s Nordic International Film Festival is changing locations.

With dates set for Oct. 16-20, the fifth annual event will move to the Roxy Cinema at The Roxy Hotel in New York. Panels and parties will take place at the Park Avenue outpost of the Stockholm museum Fotografiska.

Started by two Swedish born filmmakers based in New York, Linnea Larsdotter and Johan Matton, the festival boasts its status as the “biggest film festival outside Europe.” The silent theme for this year’s progressive official program is climate change.

Niff will present one world premiere, six international premieres, two North American premieres, one U.S. premiere and 11 New York premieres among its multiple programs. 79 percent of the films to be shown this year also include at least one woman in power. Additionally, the festival promises a focus on up-and-coming talent to screen in its Aurora Borealis category — part of its...