Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to be here tonight to celebrate the Danish and Scandinavian presence at South by Southwest 2019.

A festival - as I have heard it said  - is where the greatness of a culture can be found. And what an innovative, creative and dynamic festival, I have found here.

South by Southwest offers an exciting and unique platform for Denmark and Scandinavia to showcase their strengths and strong-holds in terms of innovation and creativity as drivers of development. It is also a unique place for the exchange of ideas and the formation of new partnerships across sectors and borders.

It is hard to deny the momentum and exposure Denmark and our fellow Scandinavians are experiencing right now in cultural export. The creative industries are drivers of growth. But music, literature, animation, art, design and fashion also bind us together across borders, generations and times.  

We have outstanding competences in creative design and storytelling. Denmark is home to a unique ecosystem of, award winning TV production, world class VR and animation talents, and cutting-edge game developers. For example; the popular Danish produced game “Subway Surfers” that has been downloaded more than 2 billion times. 

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to experience what Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen is capable of creating with VR-technology. His work ‘RE-Animated’ invites us into a universe where imagination, technology and ecology intertwine. He has created a virtual space where we can experience extinct or mythical beings in a radically different nature. His work is part of the Virtual Cinema Program at South by Southwest, and I encourage you all to see it.

The Danish Film Industry is innovative and under constant development. There has been a clear focus and strategy to encourage and ensure more women are engaged in film production. And today, in 2019 12 out of 28 Danish premieres are either produced or directed by women. You have probably heard of  Academy Award winner Susanne Bier.  She has broken all streaming-records with her latest film “Bird Box” which was recently released on Netflix.

Then there is food. The new Nordic cuisine have been conquering the world for years, and Danish chefs are leading the way. It is not just about using new ingredients (thinking locally and seasonally) in new ways to create amazing innovative dishes; chefs also use their platform to create awareness about food waste and sustainability. The Danish chef, Kamilla Seidler, who is show-casing her talents right here in the House of Scandinavia, is a strong voice on the promotion of gender equality within her own industry.

The Danish footprint in the US is impressive in other areas as well: Music being one of them. Many Danish and Nordic bands are creating a name for themselves here. The Danish artist Mø’s international career took off after performing at South by Southwest years back. And I am confident South by Southwest 2019 will also be a steppingstone for bands like Lowly and Alphabeat. 

Last year in Seattle, I had the honour of launching the Danish cultural initiative for the US. The focus of the initiative is to promote Danish artists, further cultural exchange and enhance the already strong ties between our two countries. The initiative is anchored in six cities throughout the US. Seattle was our starting point, and we are moving south and west to Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Detroit. The city of Austin is, of course, part of this initiative. And being here at South by Southwest is a great opportunity to once again celebrate this collaboration.

Finally, I would like to thank Scandinavian Airlines and all our partners for securing a strong Nordic presence this year at South by Southwest.

Thank you.