Innovating Marketing Campaigns Backed By Nordisk Film & TV Fond

The Nordic Film Marketing Scheme (NFMSS) grant allows distributors to hire extra staff to work exclusively on the theatrical, VOD or DVD release of one to three Nordic films a year. Grants are allocated on a sliding scale, from NOK85,000 up to NOK 144,000 depending on the number of films. 

So far five arthouse distributors have used the extra funds to release nine Nordic films: Danish outfits Camera Film used the grant to release The Reunion (SE) and Blind (NO); 41 Shadows released Paris of the North (IS), Life in a Fishbowl (IS) and 1001 Grams (NO), Øst for Paradis released Force Majeure (SE), The Optimists (NO) and Out of Nature (NO). In Norway Arthaus launched My Skinny Sister (SE) this year and is preparing for the release of RAMS (IS) late 2016 and Mer Film is releasing today The Here After (SE).

All distributors stressed the tough and ‘unpredictable’ market for non-national Nordic films in the Nordic region. “It is very tough for all films that are not pre-sold blockbusters with high concepts or based on bestsellers, said Øistein Refseth from Mer Film. “I think filmmakers, producers and distributors need to be much better at communicating with the audience instead of complaining about them not going to the cinema,” he added. “We need to look for new stories that feel relevant and new ways of engaging the audience with these stories. “

Camera Film’s Kim Foss says the marketing support allowed him to do something that ‘he had wanted to do for a long time: put focus on each cinema screening the films and help local exhibitors with marketing and press campaigns. “This paid dividends, as the cinemas worked with extra inspiration and energy, boosted by our special care and attention.”

Øst for Paradis’s Ole Bjørn Christensen says that hiring a young person specifically to work on Force Majeure and Out of Nature added quality work on the PR campaign and helped ‘to go from a good idea to the implementation of that good idea’. The support also contributed to improving the extra-staff’s marketing skills and ‘ability to handle more difficult films’. The results were particularly successful for Ruben Öslund’s film that ended up selling 42.000 tickets in Denmark.

Arthaus appointed a university graduate who worked exclusively on new ways to engage with young audiences for the release of My Skinny Sister. The campaign included special screenings with high school students attending an Oslo healthcare programme and young aspiring journalists working for a leading newspaper to widen the press coverage. This resulted in greater word of mouth and social media activity.

The new distributors 41 Shadows and Mer Film said the support gave them a welcome ‘extra push and enticed them to pick up more Nordic films. ”the marketing support gave me the possibility to hire a social media expert who helped me lift the films. Without her I would have gone for a more traditional campaign", said 41 Shadows’ Pernille Munk Skydsgaard. 

Mer Film’s Øistein Refseth who is looking particularly at films from emerging talents able to engage a younger audience said he worked closely with schools and organisations to build their social media platform. For his next film Guerilla from Sweden to be released in the spring 2016, he will use the same principles:’ to get the right people to talk about the film and give the audience tools to spread the word of mouth’.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s innovative distribution support package ‘Nordic Film Marketing Support Scheme’, ‘Digital Distribution Support’ and ‘Recruited Audience Screening’ had a total budget of approximately NOK 3.5 million for 2014-2015 than now runs until the end of next year. It is separate from the fund’s single film support and slate support available to distributors of non-national Nordic films. 

FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND APPLICATION INFORMATION ON THE SUPPORT SCHEMES CLICK HERE.