Katarina Margareta Spång (born May 4, 1973), more known under the name Mimmi Spång, is a Swedish film producer and production manager.[1] She has been involved with and produced several films, notably the Swedish productions Sebbe and Call Girl.[2]

Mimmi Spång
BornKatarina Margareta Spång
(1973-05-04) 4 May 1973 (age 51)
Sweden
OccupationFilm producer

Education

edit

She graduated from the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (SADA) in 2001 (previously known as University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre).

Career

edit

Spång first accepted a position at Memfis Film.[3] She worked there for three years and participated in projects such as Zozo and Kopps as first assistant director.[4] Spång stated in an interview that she found her time at Memfis to be extremely enlightening, but that she felt that she wanted to work as a producer. She founded her own company and was hired by Garagefilm International in 2007.[3] Spång became one of the co-owners of Garagefilm together with founders Malte Forsell and Håkan Lindhé, and her longtime producer partner, Rebecka Lafrenz.[5]

Spång and Lafrenz met as students at SADA in 1998. They moved together from their graduation to Memfis Film and Garagefilm. Together they have produced several films, among them being Sebbe, Call Girl and Cockpit. In 2011 Spång and Lorenz were chosen to represent Sweden in European Film Promotions Producers on the Move at the Cannes film festival. In 2011, the duo were awarded the Lorens prize for producers at the Gothenburg Film festival.[6]

"The choice is obvious. Without Garagefilm, their commitment, knowledge and courage, the Swedish film industry would be poorer," commented Swedish Film Institute international chief, Pia Lundberg, about sending Spång and Lafrenz to Cannes.

Some of Spång's films received criticism. Call Girl was critiqued for insinuating that one of Sweden's previous prime ministers, Olof Palme, participated in purchasing sexual favors from minors. Both Palme's son, Mårten Palme, and several other people reacted strongly to this depiction, finding it offensive and "tainting". The director and writers' attempt to explain that everything in the film was purely fiction was rejected as cowardly by Swedish newspaper SvD head of culture, Mårten Jönsson.[7]

In 2012, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish institute arranged a film festival in Bangkok, Thailand. The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (Daily News) later reported that the organization of this festival in part was an attempt to sell military aircraft. Several filmmakers that were involved with the festival were outraged to learn that their work could be connected to the selling of war machines. Spång was among these filmmakers and stated, "We really don't want any of our films to contribute to weapons exports. We find it absolutely appalling."[8]

In 2013, SFI's Film room held a conference called Film Politics 2020,[9] inviting Swedish filmmakers to speak discuss film politics. Spång was a representative for Swedish producers, together with Peter "Piodor" Gustafsson. Spång stated that she believes in quotation for the development of Swedish film production to begin its evolution concerning human variety in the film industry.[10][clarification needed]

Recognition

edit

Spång's career got off to a solid start when her graduation-project Viktor and his Brothers won the Swedish Guldbagge Award for Best Short Film in 2002.[3] Several of her projects received multiple awards and nominations for production and crew as well as cast. A Soap received the Silver Bear and Best Debut in Berlinale in 2006. In 2009 Heaven's Heart was awarded a Guldbaggen. Spång-produced film Guidance was nominated for the Dragon Award at the Göteborg International Film Festival and the New Talent Award in CPH Pix. Sebbe was nominated for the Dragon Award 2010 and Best First Feature Film at the Berlinale 2010. In 2011 Sebbe won a Guldbagge for Best Picture. Call Girl was awarded four Guldbagge awards as well as several international festival prizes.[11]

Spång's film Cockpit won the award Best film at QX Gaygala 2013. [12] Blowfly park is another film that Spång produced and its leading role Sverrir Gudnason won award for Best actor att Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2014[13] and Guldbaggen 2015. [14]

The Giant was awarded with multiple prices, e.g. Special Jury price at San Sebastian Film Festival,[15] Guldbaggen Best Picture, Best Script and Best Make-up.[16] 2016. Spångs company Garagefilm International produced Amateurs and won GIFF 2018, Dragon Award för Best Nordic film. [17] Spång co-produced Congo murder that won Best Actor (Tobias Santelmann) at Amanda Awards 2019. [18]

Filmography

edit
Film Year Role
Shocking Truth 2000 Post-production supervisor
Ordinary Americans 2001 Producer
Besvärliga människor 2001 Production assistant
Viktor och hans bröder (Viktor and His Brothers) 2002 Producer
Kopps 2003 Production manager/ First assistant director
The Apple Tree 2003 Production manager
Elixir 2004 Producer
Fragile 2004 Special thanks
Zozo 2005 Production coordinator / First Assistant Director
Krama mig 2005 Production coordinator
En fråga om liv och död 2006 Producer
Holly Hallonsten ger igen 2006 Producer
En såpa (A Soap) 2006 Co-producer
Jag förstår inte 2008 Producer
Himlens hjärta (Heaven's Heart) 2008 Executive producer
Äpplet & maske (The Apple and the Worm) 2009 Producer
Behandlingen 2009 Producer
Lidingöligan 2009 Producer
Småvilt 2009 Producer
Sebbe 2010 Producer
Call Girl 2012 Producer
Cockpit 2012 Producer
De närmaste 2012 Producer
Flugparken (Blowfly Park) 2013 Producer
Pioneer 2013 Co-producer
Nånting måste gå sönder 2014 Executive producer
Det vita folket 2015 Executive producer
I Remember When I Die 2015 Executive producer
Golden Girl 2016 Producer
Jätten 2016 Executive producer
Skuggdjur 2017 Executive producer
Charmören 2017 Co-producer
Smågodis, katter och lite våld 2018 Executive producer
Hjärtat 2018 Producer
Amatörer 2018 Executive producer
Morden i Kongo 2018 Co-producer
Suicide Tourist 2019 Co-producer
Ring Mamma! 2019 Executive producer
Psykos i Stockholm 2020 Executive producer

References

edit
  1. ^ "Svenska Filminstitutet, Svensk Filmdatabas". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Svenska Filminstitutet Svensk Filmdatabas". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Glennegård, Susanne. "Interview with Mimmi Spång". Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Svenska Filminstitutet Svensk Filmdatabas". Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Producers on the Move 2011". Cineuropa.
  6. ^ "MIMMI SPÅNG OCH REBECKA LAFRENZ – ÅRETS PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE I CANNES". Swedish Film&Tv Association. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Det finns stora förutsättningar för åtal". Svenska Dagbladet. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  8. ^ Resare, Nils (16 October 2012). "Jasplan säljs med svenska filmsuccéer". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  9. ^ Filmrummet: Filmpolitiken 2020 - Del 5. YouTube. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  10. ^ Filmrummet: Filmpolitiken 2020 - Del 5. YouTube. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  11. ^ "MIMMI SPÅNG Producers on the Move 2011". European Film Promotion. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  12. ^ Hagward, Foto: Christian. "QX gaygalan – här är vinnarna". QX.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  13. ^ Systems, EPAFOS IT (2014-11-09). "55th TIFF: The Awards". Thessaloniki Film Festival. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  14. ^ "Guldbaggen 2015 – här är alla vinnare". Svenska Filminstitutet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  15. ^ "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  16. ^ "Guldbaggen 2017 – här är alla vinnare". Svenska Filminstitutet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  17. ^ "Dragon Award Best Nordic Film". Göteborg Film Festival. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  18. ^ "Here are the 2019 Amanda Award Winners". Den Norske Filmfestivalen i Haugesund. 2019-08-17. Retrieved 2020-11-12.

Bibliography

edit
edit