Leading Danish film producer joins Zentropa

Film producer Mikael Rieks signs a collaboration agreement with Zentropa, effective 1 January 2026.

Photo: Mikael Rieks, 2025. Byline: Andrejs Strokins

Zentropa has penned an agreement with experienced Danish film producer Mikael Rieks (Land of Mine, To New Beginnings). The top Danish producer will become part of the production company at the turn of the year.

Over the past 17 years, Mikael Rieks has been behind a long list of major theatrical successes as producer of feature films for prominent and leading directors such as Paprika Steen, Martin Zandvliet, Ole Christian Madsen and May el-Toukhy. Rieks produced the two latest Department Q films, The Marco Effect and Boundless and had a film nominated for an Academy Award® in the Best Foreign Language Film Category with director Martin Zandvliet’s Land of Mine in 2017. His latest film, Paprika Steen's To New Beginnings celebrated its world premiere in Zürich in late September and was just released domestically in Denmark on November 6^th to rave reviews and solid box office performance. Rieks just wrapped shooting on director May el-Toukhy's upcoming drama, Woman, Unknown.

At Zentropa, there is great excitement about Mikael Rieks now becoming part of the Danish film company. Producers and Members of the management Louise Vesth and Sisse Graum Jørgensen, state:

‘We are extremely excited to have Mikael Rieks join Zentropa. His ability to combine artistic quality with commercial appeal and a keen sense of the audience reflects our own philosophy of filmmaking. A warm welcome to Mikael.’

Mikael Rieks is also delighted. After 13 great years at Nordisk Film Production, he is very much looking forward to moving to Zentropa. He adds:

”World-class Danish film – that's how I would describe Zentropa. Without Zentropa, we would not have had a golden age in Danish cinema in recent times, and the company's unique DNA is embedded in every wall inside the company – where there is room for grand gestures, artistic integrity and wild ideas, while at the same time there is a clear ambition and rightly so, that the films should find their audience both nationally and internationally.”

”Nordisk Film Production has been my home for many years, and I am grateful for the time I have had there; but now I am looking forward to creating a new foundation for the films I am passionate about producing. At a time when feature films are struggling, Zentropa still believes in film as an art form, and that is why I am sure I will feel at home in Filmbyen. I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with my new colleagues and fighting for Danish film.”

Mikael Rieks (56) was born north of Copenhagen and graduated from the Film & Media School in 1992. Before moving into feature films, Rieks produced several TV-shows and series as well as Asger Leth's documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2005) and Tómas Gislasons' Overcoming (2005) about Bjarne Riis' Tour de France bicycling team Team CSC. His first feature film as a producer was Charlotte Sachs Bostrup's family film Karla's World (2007) which was followed by numerous feature films from award-winning director Martin Zandvliet - Applause (2009), A Funny Man (2011) And the Academy Award®-nominated Post World War II drama Land of Mine (2015) as well as Tove’s Room (2023). His co-operation with director Paprika Steen includes the features That Time of Year (2018), Fathers and Mothers (2022, as executive producer) and most recently To New Beginnings (2025). Rieks has also produced the two latest films in the Jussi Adler-Olsen Department Q film series – The Marco Effect (2021) and Boundless (2024) and most recently, he launched the Academy Award®-nominated The Girl with the Needle domestically, which ended up selling over 230,000 admissions in Denmark. Rieks is currently completing director May el-Toukhy's upcoming drama, Woman, Unknown.

Mikael Rieks will continue his role as producer for Nordisk Film Production, remaining responsible for the two Nordisk Film titles To New Beginnings and Woman, Unknown until both films are completed, launched and have had their festival run both locally and internationally.

For further information, please see contact details below.

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Michael Feder, mobile: +45 22434942, mail: michael@have.dk