Ardalan Esmaili
2021
Daniel
Niels Arden Oplev
Esben Smed, Toby Kebbell
HELD FOR RANSOM tells the true story of Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye who was held hostage for 398 days in Syria by the terror organization ISIS along with several other foreign nationals including the American journalist, James Foley. The film follows Daniel’s struggle to survive in captivity, his friendship with James, and the nightmare of the Rye family back home in Denmark as they try to do everything in their power to save their son. At the center of this crisis, we find hostage negotiator, Arthur, who plays a pivotal role in securing Daniel’s release.
Daniel
Charmøren
Milad Alami
Ardalan Esmaili, Soho Rezanejad
A young Iranian man is desperately trying to meet women who can secure his stay in Denmark. As time runs out, he falls in love and his past catches up with him. The film deals with themes of race, class, and the struggle for a better life.
The Charmer
Trespassers
Evin Ahmad, Ardalan Esmaili
"Sara and Ali is looking through photo's from a hike in the Swedish outbacks. There's a few pictures that Ali doesn't recognize. Sara has been visiting a cemetery that they were specifically told not to go to. Not long after a woman appear in the photo, a woman that wasn't there when the photo's were taken. There's a price to be paid for Sara's trespassing."
Trespassers
The Girl, the Mother and the Demons
Suzanne Osten
Esther Quigley, Maria Sundbom
In an apartment a single and psychotic mother locks in herself and her daughter. Here, the demons are in control. Ti can hear her mother talking to the demons, and she sees her changing and confined face. But the demons that the mother speaks with Ti can neither hear nor see. Outwards, Ti is forced to keep a straight face to protect her mother, while she herself is going under.
The Girl, the Mother and the Demons
