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PRODUCTION / FUNDING Norway / Denmark / Sweden / Finland / Iceland

Nordisk Film & TV Fond publishes its 2019 annual report

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- The Oslo-based film agency has made figures available revealing the current state of the region’s audiovisual industry

Nordisk Film & TV Fond publishes its 2019 annual report
Nordisk Film & TV Fond CEO Liselott Forsman (© Yle H)

Last week, the Oslo-based Nordisk Film & TV Fond published its 2019 annual report. The figures made available by the organisation give interesting insights into the current state of the region’s audiovisual sector and that of the agency itself. Last year saw the arrival of Liselott Forsman as the new CEO, after Petri Kemppinen’s tenure, as well as the renewal of the agreement with the fund’s partners for 2020-2024.

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In 2019, the biggest share of funding set aside by the body went to fiction features (53%), followed by drama series (27%) and documentaries (9%). In total, in 2019 the fund backed 27 films (as against 25 in 2018) and 15 TV series (16 in 2018). Overall, last year, the organisation allocated a budget of 104.93 million Norwegian crowns (approximately €9.3 million), which were invested in the making, distribution and dubbing of both fiction and non-fiction productions, as well as in other cultural initiatives. 97.5% of the budget is granted by 22 partners – namely, the Nordic Council of Ministers, five Nordic film institutes and 16 Nordic broadcasters.

Even though more efforts are required in order to attain gender equality, remarkably, 54% of the supported flicks’ producers were women. The majority of screenwriters and directors, however, are still men.

In terms of distribution, trends remain relatively stable in comparison with 2018, with a total budget of 9,385,000 Norwegian crowns (€828,000) aimed at helping distributors to release Nordic productions in their neighbouring countries. 62 films were in receipt of distribution grants, whilst nine of them benefited from dubbing support. Furthermore, support for cultural side initiatives, such as the Nordic Talents event, also remained stable, accounting for 3% of the whole budget.

Moreover, in the document’s preface, CEO Liselott Forsman said that this year, the fund would be looking more closely at “how young, adult cinema-goers experience Nordic films”. In 2019, about 16 million Norwegian crowns (€1.4 million) were invested in children- and youth-related projects, resulting in an increase of about 3 million Norwegian crowns (€265,000) in comparison with the 2018 spend. Another important area of focus for the future will be fostering local emerging talents.

Finally, speaking about the current state of the Nordic industry, Forsman defined the present as “an enchanting time to work for the Nordic industry” and added that today’s world “welcomes complex, engaging stories that combine light and depth. The gap between the popular and the arty is closing. Non-linear storytelling is not ‘experimental’ for the game-and-film generation, but just one narration option. Another is real authenticity that makes hearts of all ages tick, in times of fake and true news.”

Hopefully, the body will be able to pursue all of these commendable commitments despite the threat posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

For further information, you can access the full report here.

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