SF Studios distributes the film adaptation of Norwegian bestseller Stargate
Copyright: Illustration photo by Cory Svalland-Grier, Villnis AS
Today SF Studios announced that it will distribute the film adaptation of the heartwarming Christmas tale Stargate, based on Ingvild Rishøi's critically acclaimed and award-winning book of the same name. The book is already considered a modern Christmas classic and has been compared to beloved stories by Astrid Lindgren, Charles Dickens and H.C. Andersen. The film will be a Christmas tale for the whole family directed by Ida Sagmo Tvedte. SF Studios distributes the film in Norway, Denmark and Finland. REinvent will handle international sales.
Stargate is a heartwarming Christmas adventure about a father and his two daughters Melissa (16 years old) and Ronja (10 years old) and takes place at Tøyen in Oslo. Christmas is approaching, and when their father loses his job as a Christmas tree seller, Ronja and Melissa take over the responsibility. While their father drowns his sorrows in the Stargate pub, the two girls are forced to fend for themselves and dream of a different reality. It is a film about a father who does his best, but is not enough; about an older sister who has far too big shoes to fill; and about a little sister who never stops hoping.
“I love watching movies that make me feel a lot. And I love reading books that do the same. When I read the book Stargate. A Christmas Story. by Ingvild H. Rishøi at Christmas last year, I was both excited, touched and inspired, and got immediately wanted to take the story of Ronja and Melissa to the screen," says director and screenwriter Ida Sagmo Tvedte, and continues: "I am delighted that we will be given the opportunity to make a Christmas film that, with humor, hope and love, will resonate both with children and adults. Stargate should entertain, engage and touch. And open up for the good conversations about a topic that needs to be made visible."
Ida Sagmo Tvedte is a series creator, screenwriter and director. She is recognized for her award-winning drama series Sara (2008), Mia (2010) and Jenter (2013). Ida has received the Creative Talent award at the Kidscreen Awards in 2016, and her series Snøfall won for Best New Series in 2020. Stargate is her first feature film and it is based on the award-winning and critically acclaimed book Stargate. A Christmas Story. by Ingvild Rishøi, which has sold over 40,000 copies in Norway, and been sold to 12 countries. Rishøi is also connected to the film project as scriptwriter, a role she shares with Ida Sagmo Tvedte.
Stargate is produced by Hege Hauff Hvattum and Yngve Sæther at Motlys and co-produced by Swedish B-Reel. SF Studios distributes the film in Norway, Denmark and Finland and REinvent handles international sales.
“It is a true pleasure for us to collaborate with Motlys on this wonderful movie, and we look forward to releasing this magical Christmas tale in cinemas for everyone to see. At SF Studios, we are positive that this story deserves its place on the big screen and that the story will appeal to the whole family as its unique setting and perspective will give the entire family something to take in and talk about. We hope to take our audience on a marvelous journey and be as captivated and touched by this story as we were when we first read the script”, says Silje Nikoline Glimsdal, Senior Acquisition Manager at SF Studios.
The date for the theatrical release of Stargate will be announced later.
About Stargate
Genre: Family film, Christmas film
Production company: Motlys
Director: Ida Sagmo Tvedte
Screenwriters: Ida Sagmo Tvedte, Ingvild Rishøi
Producers: Hege Hauff Hvattum, Yngve Sæther
Original Norwegian title / English title: Stargate
For more information, please contact:
Silje Nikoline Glimsdal, Senior Acquisition Manager, SF Studios, silje.glimsdal@sfstudios.no, +45 244 00 802 Malin Strihagen, Vice President Brand & Communications, SF Studios, malin.strihagen@sfstudios.se, +46 70 780 39 35
Helene Aurø, Sales & Marketing Director, Reinvent International Sales, helene.auro@reinvent.dk, +45 23 42 00 07
About SF Studios
SF Studios is one of the world’s oldest film companies and is celebrating 100 years in 2019. Today SF Studios is the leading film studio in the Nordic region with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and offices in Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki. The company is producing and distributing feature films and TV series as well as providing the streaming service SF Anytime. SF Studios is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.
About REinvent
REinvent is a packaging, sales and financing studio all in one. REinvent has extensive knowledge of original trends and sales opportunities in both the Scandinavian and international markets and works with high profile European production companies.
About Motlys
Motlys is an independent production company that has delivered a wide range of quality films since 1983, told by filmmakers with distinctive narrative voices that entertain and engage as much as they enrich. Motlys has produced award-winning and critically acclaimed films and drama series such as Barn, Hope, Heimebane, Thelma, Welcome to Norway, Louder Than Bombs, Blind, I Belong, Oslo, August, 31st, North, The Man Who Loved Yngve, Comrade Pedersen and many more. On September 15, Motlys feature film Listen Up! premieres and in October its upcoming NRK series Power Play will be released.
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