Midnight Sun produced by Nice Drama for SVT and the Rebecka Martinsson series produced by Yellow Bird for TV4 received funding from Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s August round of production support. Both Swedish series are coincidentally filming at the same time in Kiruna and the Norrbotten region where the snowy and icy landscape provides an ideal setting for crime fare.
The original 8x52’ drama series Midnight Sun (Midnattssol) created by Måns Marlind and Björn Stein from an idea by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer (Nice Drama, Sweden) and Patrick Nebout (Atlantique Productions, France), was awarded NOK2,850,000 from the Fund.
Producer Jan Marnell is steering the first-ever French/Swedish TV drama co-production set to premiere next fall on SVT. Alongside French actress Leila Bekhti and Sweden’s Gustav Hammarstan (pictured) who play the title roles are Peter Stormare and Jessica Grabowsky (Thicker than Water). A short teaser will be introduced at MIPCOM by StudioCanal handling world sales. DR and NRK have pre-bought rights for their territories.
The 4x90’ Rebecka Martisson series based on Åsa Larsson’s four part crime novels was granted NOK1.8 million. The screen adaptation written by Mattias Grosin and Henrik Engström, has been shooting since August by director Frefrik Edfeldt (Blue Eyes, The Girl). Actress Ida Engvoll (Arne Dahl) plays Kiruna-born tax lawyer Rebecka Martinsson who investigates a series of crimes with police inspector Anna-Maria Mella and her partner Sven-Erik Stålnacke. Daniel Gulling is producing for Yellow Bird in co-production with TV4, ARD Degeto and Filmpool Nord. Zodiak Rights handles world distribution.
Two documentaries were also granted support:
- Post-Punk Disorder co-directed by Jukka Kärkkäinen and J-P Passi continues the story of the punk rock band PKN featured in the acclaimed 2012 film The Punk Syndrome .The directors follow the band (Eurovision Song contest candidates) consisting of middle-aged men with learning disabilities, as it comes to its end. Mouka Filmi’s Sami Jahnukainen is producing, with Norway’s Indie Film and Sweden’s Auto Images. The documentary currently in production was granted NOK420.000.
- InnSæi directed by Kristin Olafsdottir & Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir is produced by Klikk Productions’s Sandra Tabares-Duque, Heather Millard and Kristin Olafsdottir in Iceland in co-production with Met Film Production in the UK. The film takes the viewer on a global journey to rediscover the power of intuition through science, nature and creativity. InnSæi was granted NOK300.000.