Annual Report 2022
Nordisk Film & TV Fond is a pan-Nordic fund whose objective is to promote the Nordic audio-visual industry through support schemes and initiatives.
The operation of Nordisk Film & TV Fond is today based on an agreement between 22 parties: the Nordic Council of Ministers, 5 Nordic Film Institutes and 16 Nordic media companies. The parties finance our annual budget, which in 2022 was NOK 128,780,322, based on a five-year agreement for the period 2020-2024.
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Nordisk Film & TV Fond
PHOTO: NFTVF
Mission and strategy
Nordisk Film & TV Fond contributes to an increased quality of Nordic productions at an international level, and an increased distribution of Nordic films, documentaries, and series in our region. We do this by top-up financing and promoting Nordic productions, as well as by financing dubbing of children’s films and Nordic distribution. All support forms have a special focus on children and youth.
We participate in strengthening Nordic content overall and in the region’s creative talent development. Among the Fund’s long-running industry initiatives are events that promote Nordic bridgebuilding between upcoming and established professionals (Nordic Talents) and collaboration between creatives in all Nordic countries (Nordic Script).
We provide top-up financing for projects of high quality with potential audience reach, primarily in the Nordics, but also internationally. In the evaluation of a project applying for production funding, overall quality factors, such as diversity and originality, are considered side by side with the project’s Nordic audience potential described in plans and documented in distribution agreements.
The Fund actively initiates and participates in pan-Nordic and international industry discussions. We reach out globally through our online newsletter, which weekly publishes 8-10 articles with Nordic industry focus.
The Fund works for a strong, green, and socially sustainable Nordic industry in accordance with the vision (Vision 2030) presented by the Nordic Council of Ministers: CLICK HERE.
Success criteria
We evaluate our success yearly by comparing the results of the supported projects against our expectations – through indicators such as admissions, sales, ratings, festival results, impact, and debate. We collect statistical information, feedback from applicants, and insights from the Fund´s partners to reflect upon trends and changes. We also commission external evaluations of our overall activity.
Nordisk Film & TV Fond
CEO: Liselott Forsman
Senior Advisor Legal & Strategy: Lise Løwholm
Senior Advisor Fiction: Torleif Hauge
Senior Advisor Documentary: Karolina Lidin
Project Manager: Ann-Sophie W. Birkenes (Until June 2022)
Web Editor/System Admin: Mathias Kallum Ferre (From August 2022)
Economy Controller: Salma Reiermark Karoliussen
The parties of Nordisk Film & TV Fond are The Nordic Council of Ministers, Danish Film Institute, DR, TV2 Denmark, Finnish Film Foundation, Yle, MTV Oy, Icelandic Film Centre, RUV, Sýn hf, Síminn, Norwegian Film Institute, NRK, TV2 Norway, Discovery Networks Norway, VGTV, Swedish Film Institute, SVT, TV 4, Discovery Networks Sweden, C More and Viaplay Group.
The Board consists of five members, one from each Nordic country, with insight into the Fund's areas of work. At least two board members must have competence in the field of film, and at least two in the field of television. The Board of Directors is appointed by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
This is Nordisk Film & TV Fond's Board:
In 2022 the long isolation caused by Covid-19 finally ended, and we enjoyed meeting colleagues and visiting cinemas in real life again. The Nordic industry was strongly present on international award stages, and stories with great variety were put into production. The year was also heavily marked by Russia’s war on Ukraine, that sadly continues into 2023.
When we travel home from industry events, Ukrainian colleagues often travel to their families in potential war zones. The Fund’s last newsletter in 2022 quoted one of them, producer and EFA member Julia Sinkevych, on advice on how to help from our safe corners: CLICK HERE.
In 2022 film applications were back in numbers at the Fund, while documentary and series applications slightly dropped compared with 2021, which was the Fund’s record year for drama series. After years of hyped growth, some air indeed started to go out of the international series market. The Danish industry faced a production stop caused by over optimistic rights demands, and HBO stopped commissioning in the Nordic region.
There were more female than male producers behind films, drama series and documentaries that got Fund support in 2022. However, there was an overall male dominance in both application and support numbers when it comes to writers and directors. Films and drama series with female directors had a higher support per application share than productions directed by males, while those with female writers had a somewhat lower one.
Projects applying in 2022 dive deep into our souls and societies in various ways. Many films analyse the restless present by looking back. Politics and ethics are combined with stories on families or strong individuals, taking place during the 16th and 18th centuries, the WW2, the cold war, or the war in Syria. Many upcoming productions are based on real persons and historical events.
Re-occurring series themes are dysfunctional, loving families trying to cope in today’s fragmented world, and young ones finding their true selves amid digital universes. National traumas are dealt with, crime genres reshaped, and there are new takes on hospital and prison arenas. Nordic book classics (Ronja, the Robbers Daughter [Ronja Rövardotter], Stormskerry’s Maja [Stormskärs-Maja], Evil [Ondskan]) are re-fictionalised, and beloved films (Together [Tillsammans], Nightwatch [Nattevagten]) continued.
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Ronja
PHOTO: Audrius Solominas -
Stormskerry’s Maja
PHOTO: Solar Films -
Evil
PHOTO: Audrius Solominas -
Together 99
PHOTO: Courtesy Memfis Film, REinvent Studios -
The Nighwatchs Daughter
PHOTO: Geisnaes, Nordisk Film Produksjon
In upcoming children’s fiction, we also welcome original stories expressing warmth and friendliness in innovative fantasy genres. Otherwise, realism is still ruling, but accompanied by psychological mystery-horror and near future scary scenarios, one dystopia even in the form of a musical. The 2022 love stories show diversity in age, with elderly persons seeking new or long-ago lost love. It is also positive to see more truly multicultural arenas than before.
On the documentary side, we cherish a growth in productions aimed at younger audiences. Icelandic producers have long been active fiction producers. In 2022 supported Icelandic documentaries stand out as well.
Iceland was noted on Nordic award stages too. In early February 2022 the series Blackport (Verbúðin) received the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for best series script at TV Vision in Gothenburg. Nine months later the Icelandic film Lamb (Dýrið) was awarded the Nordic Council Film Prize in Helsinki.
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Blackport wins NFTVFP 2022
PHOTO: Torleif Hauge -
Lamb, NCFP 2022
PHOTO: Courtesy Magnus Fröderberg, Norden.org
Creators from all Nordic countries were celebrated on international stages in the course of the year. The greatest 2022 buzz was caused by the Swedish film Triangle of Sadness, which received a Palme d’or among other awards, and got three Academy Award nominations for the 2023 competition, while its director Ruben Östlund became the President of the 2023 Cannes jury. At the 2022 Oscar ceremony, Nordic productions were also noticed, as the Norwegian fiction film The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske) had two, and the Danish documentary Flee (Flugt) three nominations.
After two digital editions, The Fund’s popular bridge-building event Nordic Talents was back at the Danish film school. Nordic graduating students who had made it to the pitch final, shared their project visions with experienced producers and commissioners, and a jury that delivered awards to Finnish and Norwegian talents.
During the whole year we put extra focus on the upcoming creative generation, as the Fund’s theme year 2022 was named 20-something. We co-organised pitches and panels at festivals with new film makers, had many good industry-talks, and performed interviews with them. Some discussion excerpts are published at the Fund’s homepage’s new Industry Insights section.
Among topics discussed was how structural changes promote diversity better than actions that click boxes. Creators and producers alike longed for braver commissioning of genres, dialogues that go beyond laconic one-liners, and visual expressions that challenge Nordic grey tones. Future hope was expressed, as many felt things are changing just now, partly thanks to international successes of diverse stories and extraordinary formats.
Our otherwise smooth digital communication, forced on us by the pandemic, is not optimal for getting to know new people. Therefore, the Fund and its collaboration partners Oslo Seriedagene, GIFF TV Vision and City of Helsinki waited until September 2022 to launch the Nordic Script lab. This already much appreciated lab enables professional inspiration, mentor led script development, and in-depth networking. The 12 participants of the one-year-long forum were selected from 60 applicants from all Nordic countries.
As the world opened up again, the Fund was finally able to organise two real-life partner meetings in 2022. In early April, our 22 partners had a chance to share facts, challenges, and insights at our so-called Family Meeting in Oslo. In early September, commissioners from all partner companies and organisations were summoned to Copenhagen for a discussion on, among other things, enabling content for future, audio-visually skilful generations.
When looking forward, we trust that the Nordic industry will stand out in the future as well, as predicted by the upcoming generation in 2022.
Our warmest thoughts are with Ukraine, as we put our deepest hopes in a wish for peace.
Liselott Forsman, CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
The fiction year 2022
Several Nordic fiction films attracted a lot of international attention in 2022. One film which particularly stood out in the course of the year was the Swedish Triangle of Sadness, directed by Ruben Östlund. Among other awards, the film won a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and four prizes at the European Film Awards, in addition to Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Guldbaggen. The film is nominated for three Oscars in 2023. The Danish Holy Spider (Ankabut-e moqaddas), directed by Ali Abassi, participated at a number of festivals in 2022, won several awards, and was selected as Denmark’s Oscar entry. The Finnish horror film Hatching (Pahanhautoja), Hanna Bergholm’s debut film, premiered at last year’s Sundance, received sensational reviews, and was snatched by more than 15 global distributors. The film also won two major prizes at France’s Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival. There were also many award-winning titles for the younger generation you can read about in the Children and Youth section of the annual report.
When it comes to TV/Drama series, several titles from the premiere year 2022 stood out. The historic drama Mobile 1.0. (Made in Finland) and the thriller Enemy of the People (Kansan vihollinen) from Finland, a serious contemporary drama like the Swedish series Riding in Darkness (Nattryttarna), and the Danish Carmen Curlers, which mixes several genres in a playful way. Many titles this year, including Carmen Curlers, were based on true stories. This Danish drama was enthusiastically received in all the Nordic countries. The series won several prizes at the Danish Robert Awards ceremony and was nominated for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize 2023 in December. The emotional, dramatic and funny series Blackport (Verbúðin) from Iceland won the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize 2022.
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Triangle of Sadness
PHOTO: Courtesy SF Studios -
Holy Spider
PHOTO: Nadim Carlsen -
Hatching
PHOTO: Silva Mysterium
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Mobile 1.0
PHOTO: Rabbit films, Laura Mainiemi -
Enemy Of The People
PHOTO: Markus Kontiainen -
Riding in Darkness
PHOTO: Jarowskij Sverige AB -
Carmen Curlers
PHOTO: Courtesy DR Drama -
Blackport
PHOTO: Vesturport
Some supported projects in 2022 awaited with great anticipation, to name a few, are the Danish feature film The Bastard (Bastarden), the Norwegian Quisling – The Final Days (Quisling), the Icelandic Cold (Vetrarbraut), as well as the Finnish drama series Estonia and the Swedish Ronja – The Robber’s Daughter (Ronja Rövardotter).
We are looking forward to new high quality fiction stories, in all genres and for all age groups!
The documentary year 2022
Nordic documentaries were off to a flying start in 2022 with three out of the ten films competing in the prestigious World Cinema Documentary Competition at The Sundance Film Festival, namely A House Made of Splinters directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont from Denmark, Calendar Girls by Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen from Sweden, and The Mission by Tania Anderson from Finland - with the Directing Award for World Cinema Documentary going to Simon Lereng Wilmont for A House Made of Splinters.
Shortly after, history was made when the Danish full-length animated documentary Flee (Flugt), directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, was the first film to ever have been nominated in the three categories Best International Feature Film, Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards.
And so the year continued with a string of remarkable documentary films demonstrating both the artistic visions and social commitments of the Nordic filmmakers behind films such as the Swedish LGBTQ+ WW2 love story Nelly & Nadine (Nelly och Nadine), directed by Magnus Gertten, the Danish environmental thriller Into the Ice (Rejsen til isens indre) by Lars Henrik Ostenfeld, the Finnish reverse-migrant family story Golden Land (Kultainen maa) by Inka Achté, the Norwegian adoption-cum-detective story No Place Like Home (Veien hjem) by Emilie Beck – and even ending on a high note with the deeply personal portrait of an artist Apolonia Apolonia by Danish Lea Glob winning the Best Film Award at IDFA International Documentary Festival Amsterdam.
With such success comes high expectations also for future Nordic documentaries. Although the past pandemic still casts its shadows over the documentary community at large, many of the films in the pipelines, supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond in 2022, give reason to maintain the high expectations for the years to come. Beast by Danish director Max Kestner, Vintersaga by Swedish Carl Olsson and Storm Alerts (Veðurskeytin) by Icelandic Bergur Bernburg all carry the mantle of the creative documentary art form – and shake it up along the way! In addition, films were supported about the most pressing issues of our time, about the most personal moments of our lives, about people who have made a difference in the world, and about kids whose lives have just begun. A multitude of visions and voices for audiences young and old, for our Nordic neighbours and for the world at large. Exciting times ahead!
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A House Made of Splinters
PHOTO: Final Cut For Real -
Calendar Girls
PHOTO: Pink Dolphin -
Flee
PHOTO: Final Cut For Real -
Nelly & Nadine
PHOTO: Auto Images -
Into The Ice
PHOTO: Lars Ostenfeld
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Golden Land
PHOTO: Inka Achte, NAPAFILMS -
No Place Like Home
PHOTO: Indie Film -
Apolonia Apolonia
PHOTO: Danish Documentary -
Vintersaga
PHOTO: Ginestra Film -
Storm Alerts
PHOTO: Firnindi Films ehf Research Gruppen ApS
Children & Youth - A priority
Every year, the Fund has a special focus on children and youth. In 2022, 15 children and youth productions were granted support; both feature films, drama series, documentary films and a documentary series.
Among many award-winning titles premiering in 2022, we may mention the Swedish fiction film Comedy Queen, directed by Sanna Lenken, which, in addition to receiving Swedish Guldbagge Awards also won prizes in Berlin and Chicago. Another Swedish children’s film receiving several children and youth awards was Mini-Zlatan and Uncle Darling (Lill-Zlatan och morbror raring). The team behind the film was all-Nordic, with among others the Swedish screenwriter Ella Lemhagen (The Crown Jewels [Kronjuvelerna], Patrik, Age 1.5 [Patrik 1,5]), and the Norwegian director Christian Lo (The Tough Guys [De tøffeste gutta], Los Bando).
Several productions for children reached an international audience in 2022, among them two charming animated series; the Icelandic Tulipop Tales (Tulipop) and the Finnish The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti (Keltainen lumimies), which both received production support in 2020. Another popular production for the same target group was the Norwegian Christmas film Teddy’s Christmas (Teddybjørnens jul), which combines live-action and animation.
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Mini Zlatan & Uncle Darling
PHOTO: Snowcloud -
Comedy Queen
PHOTO: Johan Paulin -
Tulipop Tales
PHOTO: Tulipop Studios -
The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti
PHOTO: Gigglebug Entertainment -
Teddy´s Christmas
PHOTO: Fantefilm
In the course of the year, the Fund supported both animated productions for children up to 12 years of age and live-action productions with teenagers in the leading roles. The animated films initiated in 2022 often contain elements of magic, regardless of whether the story takes place in alien fantasy landscapes, familiar mythological worlds, or in a three-year-old’s everyday life. Fantasy flourishes in all genres for the youngest viewers.
For the somewhat older target group, we are glad to mention for instance the Norwegian live-action production Listen Up! (Hør her’a!), directed by Kaveh Therani, based on Gulraiz Sharif’s popular first novel. The story, seen from a 15-year-old’s perspective, focuses on his Norwegian-Pakistani family and their lives. Sweden contributes with Sisters, about three teenage daughters trying to keep their family together without their parents. The director of which, Mika Gustafson was awarded the Special Mention Prize at the Nordic Talents event in 2016.
In 2022, the supported documentaries aimed at younger audiences ranged from the 10-part Norwegian series Spark (Kraft), following world class street dancing high schoolers in Oslo, directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen and Kristin Nybø, via the Norwegian portrait of a teenage art prodigy The Renaissance Prince (Renessanseprinsen), directed by Emily Louisa Millan Eide, to the Danish film Bravehearts (De umyndige), depicting Denmark’s first crisis centre for young people, directed by Mette Korsgaard.
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Spark
PHOTO: A5 film, Runar Blekken -
The Renaissance Prince
PHOTO: Erla Flyum -
Bravehearts
PHOTO: Mariehald Joanna
Upcoming generations and fresh filmmakers
The Fund’s theme year "20-something" had a special focus on upcoming filmmakers and their takes on the Nordic industry. Themes discussed during interviews and panels varied from sustainability issues to financing your first long feature film and the attractiveness of Nordic films, series, and documentaries on the global market.
Clips from some of the discussions are published in the new section of nordiskfilmogtvfond.com, Industry Insights.
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20 something
PHOTO: NFTVF, Yellow1 -
20 something
PHOTO: NFTVF, Yellow1 -
20 something
PHOTO: NFTVF, Yellow1 -
20 something
PHOTO: NFTVF, Yellow1
Distribution and dubbing
The purpose of the Fund’s distribution and dubbing support is to promote Nordic films to Nordic audiences outside the film’s home country. Support may be applied for regardless of whether or not the films have received production support.
The Fund provided support for 50 Nordic films for distribution in the Nordics, of all genres. Several of these films were directed at children and young people. A selection of films receiving distribution support in 2022 were the Danish film Rose for distribution in Norway and Sweden, the Swedish film The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) and the Icelandic Beautiful Beings (Berdreymi) for distribution in Denmark, the Norwegian The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske) for distribution in Denmark and Finland, and the Swedish film Triangle of Sadness for distribution in Denmark, Iceland and Norway. In the course of the year, support was also granted to Norwegian animated films like Just Super (Helt super) and Titina, and documentary films like the Finnish Karaoke Paradise (Karaokeparatiisi) and the Swedish Nelly & Nadine.
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Rose
PHOTO: Martin Dam Kristensen, Nordisk Film, Fidalgo -
The Emigrants
PHOTO: SF Studios, John Christian Rosenlund -
Beautiful Beings
PHOTO: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, Join Motion Pictures -
The Worst Person in the World
PHOTO: Oslo Pictures -
Triangle of Sadness
PHOTO: Plattform Produktion, SF Studios
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Just Super
PHOTO: Qvisten Animation -
Titina
PHOTO: Mikrofilm -
Karaoke Paradise
PHOTO: Marita Hallfors, Napafilms -
Nelly & Nadine
PHOTO: Auto Images
Dubbing support was granted to, among other films, All I Want for Christmas 2 (Julemandens dattter 2) for dubbing from Danish to Icelandic, and All I Want for Christmas 3 (Julemandens datter 3) from Danish to Norwegian. In the course of the year, we have also contributed to the dubbing of familiar and beloved characters in the world of Bamse in the Swedish film Bamse and the Thunderbell (Bamse och dunderklockan) and Bamse and the Volcano Island (Bamse och Vulkanön), and the Moomin characters in the Finnish The Exploits of Moominpappa (Muumipapa seiklused). The Norwegian animated film Three Robbers and a Lion (Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by) received support for distribution as well as dubbing in several countries, and for the first time, the Fund supported dubbing into the Sámi language. Thereby, the Fund contributed to the availability of Nordic content for children and young people throughout the Nordic region, in new language areas as well.
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All i Want for Christmas 2
PHOTO: Martin Dam -
All I Want for Christmas 3
PHOTO: Martin Dam Kristensen -
Bamse And The Thunderbell
PHOTO: Sfd -
Bamse and the Volcano Island
PHOTO: Courtesy Nordisk Film -
The Exploits of Moominpappa
PHOTO: Filmkompaniet -
Three Robbers And A Lion
PHOTO: Qvisten Animation AS
Reform
In the autumn of 2022, Nordisk Film & TV Fond started the initial work on a dubbing and distribution reform. This work included individual interviews with key personnel within dubbing and distribution, and conversations continue. The goal of the reform is to create a more efficient, predictable and time-saving application system.
Nordic Council Film Prize
The year 2022 saw the awarding of the 20th Nordic Council Film Prize.
Every year, The Nordic Council awards five prizes, among them the Nordic Council Film Prize. The additional prizes are the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, The Nordic Council Literature Prize, The Nordic Council Music Prize, and the Nordic Council Environment Prize. The purpose of the Film Prize is to promote the production of Nordic film and the development of the Nordic film market, and in the long term also contribute to strengthening Nordic film internationally.
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NCFP 20th Anniversary
PHOTO: NFTVF, Nordic Council of Ministers
The Film Prize was awarded for the first time in 2002, and was permanently established in 2005. The Prize goes to a feature film anchored in Nordic culture, of high artistic value, which has distinguished itself through artistic originality, and emerges as a well-integrated piece of work. When the nominated films are compared, it is also an advantage if the film is innovative within the film genre. The prize amount of DKK 300,000 is distributed equally between the winning film’s director, screenwriter, and producer.
The nominated films of the Nordic Council Film Prize 2022 were:
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Godland
PHOTO: Hlynur Palmason -
The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic
PHOTO: It’S Alive Films -
Lamb
PHOTO: Lilja Jóns -
The Worst Person in the World
PHOTO: Oslo Pictures -
Clara Sola
PHOTO: Hobab Resolve Media Need Productions Pacifica Grey Laidka Films Esteban Chinchilla
Godland (Vanskabte Land / Volaða Land)
Danmark
Read more: CLICK HERE.
The Blind Man who did not want too see Titantic (Sokea Mies joka ei halunnut nähdä Titanicia)
Finland
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Lamb (Dýrið)
Island
Read more: CLICK HERE.
The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)
Norway
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Clara Sola
Sweden
Read more: CLICK HERE.
As secretariat for The Nordic Council Film Prize, the Fund also in 2022 cooperated with national organisers in each of the Nordic countries in order to promote this prestigious prize. Press agents worked to secure the best media coverage possible on all platforms, both nationally and internationally.
The five nominated films were announced on the 23rd of August, in connection with the opening of New Nordic Films in Haugesund. In the period between the 2nd of September and the 31st of October, all the films were screened for audiences at film events in Reykjavik, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo.
The Nordic Council Prizes were awarded in the Helsinki Music Centre on the 1st of November. YLE produced a TV show from the awards ceremony which was streamed live and could be watched throughout the Nordic region.
The Nordic jury for 2022 consisted of the heads of the national juries: Heidi Hilarius-Kalkau Philipsen from Denmark, Jóna Finnsdóttir from Iceland, Mikaela Westerlund from Finland, Inger Merete Hobbelstad from Norway, and Emma Gray Munthe from Sweden.
The winner of Nordic Council Film Prize 2022 was: Lamb
The 20th winning motivation was:
”In Lamb, the director creates a unique tale of loss, grief and horror. The highly original story explores classic themes of man’s interaction with mother nature and the consequences of defying her forces. It also deals with the beauty and brutality of parenthood and the extreme measures we may take to protect the happiness we feel entitled to.
The film is a disturbing and original cinematic experience. The animals’ sensitivity to the slightest anomaly in their surroundings is used very effectively to create a sense of underlying threat, which is magnificently underscored by a constantly attentive yet unobtrusive camera and an eery soundscape. The incisive use of few meaningful elements to conjure an abiding sense of dread makes for a visually effective and atmospheric storytelling experience.
Lamb marks an impressive debut for director, Valdimar Jóhannsson.”
For further information on the Nordic Council Film Prize 2022: CLICK HERE.
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Lamb
PHOTO: Go To Sheep
The Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize
The Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize is the prize for the best Nordic series script, and for outstanding writing of Nordic drama series. With this annual prize, the Fond will highlight the important art of screenwriting, and showcase the high and innovative quality of Nordic scripts.
Following a professional evaluation of a great number of Nordic scripts, five scripts were eventually selected – one from each country. The nominated writers, from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, were introduced on stage in the TV Drama Vision event at the Göteborg Film Festival.
The Prize Jury 2022 was comprised of actor Alma Pöysti, Hungarian writer and creative producer Gábor Krigler, Norwegian screenwriter and director Julie Andem, and Swedish journalist and television critic Mattias Bergqvist.
The nominated series of 2022 were:
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The Shift
PHOTO: Henrik Ohsten -
Transport
PHOTO: Sami Kuokkanen -
Blackport
PHOTO: Vesturport -
Countrymen
PHOTO: Rubicon, NRK -
Suburbia
PHOTO: Nadja Hallström
The Shift (Det største)
Denmark
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Transport
Finland
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Blackport (Verbúðin)
Iceland
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Countrymen (Jordbrukerne)
Norway
Read more: CLICK HERE.
Suburbia (Vi i villa)
Sweden
Read more: CLICK HERE.
At the Prize awarding ceremony in Göteborg, the Jury presented the NOK 200,000 Prize to the Nordic winner with the following motivation:
"Dramatic, funny and unpredictable, without losing its original voice, the winner is a show that has strong emotional stakes and a lead character ahead of her time. She refuses to play by the rules, just like this series is not afraid to push narrative boundaries, balancing between existentialism and comedy."
The winner of Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize 2022 was: Blackport
The Icelandic series Blackport received production support from the Fond in 2020. The series is written by Gísli Örn Gardarsson, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson and Mikael Torfason, who shared the Prize. Gísli and Björn also directed the series, in collaboration with Maria Reyndal.
Would you like to read more about the annual Prize and the 2022 Prize winners? CLICK HERE.
At the very end of the year, the 2023 Prize nominees were announced: CLICK HERE.
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Blackport
PHOTO: Vesturport
Nordic Script
Nordic Script was introduced by the Fund in 2022 as a unique opportunity for Nordic writers and producers/story editors to hone their script skills under mentorship guidance, to network with fellow Nordic colleagues, and to get access to inspiring masterclasses.
The lab format was developed by a core group summoned by the Fund and in collaboration with established script writers and other industry professionals. Lab partners Jan Strande Ødegårdstuen (Oslo Series Days and NRK), Taina Seitsara (City of Helsinki) and Cia Edström (Gothenburg Film Festival) formed the core group together with Fund CEO Liselott Forsman.
In April 2022 a pan-Nordic expert group selected 9 scriptwriters and 3 story-focused producers from all the Nordic countries out of the approximately 60 applicants.
The first very much appreciated lab was held at NRK, Oslo in September 2022, with 2023 labs to follow in Gothenburg and Helsinki.
The focus of Nordic Script 2022/2023 is on drama series writing and script development in general. Each writer brings at least one own project that is developed during sessions in three smaller groups led by mentors Adam August (Follow the Money 3 [Bedrag 3], Cry Wolf [Ulven kommer]), Maria Clauss (All that is Left [Allt som blir kvar], Top Dog) and Margrete Soug Kåset (Mammon 2, Monster, Himmelblå [Blue Sky]).
Info on participants and projects: CLICK HERE.
Info on Nordic Script: CLICK HERE.
Nordic Talents
Since the year 2000, Nordic Talents has been a meeting place for young Nordic talents and the audiovisual industry. Every year, the event has facilitated exchange of experience and network building. After two digital years, Nordic Talents was finally organised physically once more. On the 7th and 8th of September, the 22nd edition of Nordic Talents took place at the National Film School of Denmark.
In addition to the screening of graduation films, a pitch competition is held for graduating students from film and TV schools and disciplines. The competition was open to students graduating with a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in 2021/2022. From among 47 applications, a pan-Nordic jury handpicked 15 projects competing for the awards “Pitch Prize” of NOK 250,000 and “Special Mention” of NOK 50,000. The prize money is allocated in the form of strategic development support for the winning projects, and the prizes are financed by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
Nordic Talents offers the students excellent training for professional life and the opportunity of receiving professional feedback on their projects in the form of a Q&A session with the jury, and in conversations with the industry. Towards the end of the event, Nordic production companies were allowed to take the stage and pitch themselves to the newcomers in the industry. The full programme and information on the projects pitched at the event is available on www.nordictalents.com.
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Nordic Talents 2022
PHOTO: NFTVF, Yellow1
The 2022 jury was comprised of Diana Bartha, France (Head of international sales & acquisitions, Wild Bunch Television), Marianne Furevold, Norway (Head of Drama, NRK), Carl Javér, Sweden (Director and editor, Vilda Bomben Film), Ilkka Matila, Finland (Producer, Matila Röhr Productions), and Charlotte Sieling, Sweden (Director and actor).
Based on the submitted information on the project, the student’s graduation film and the pitch, the jury selected the following winners:
THE WINNER OF THE PTICH PRIZE
Return&Exchange
Finland
Read more: CLICK HERE.
THE WINNER OF THE SPECIAL MENTION PRIZE
Titanic Club
Norway
Read more: CLICK HERE.
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Nordic Talents Winners
PHOTO: Torleif Hauge/NFTVF
| Applications | Funded | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 184 | 148 |
| Feature Film | 48 | 30 |
| TV Film/Drama Series | 35 | 23 |
| Documentary | 25 | 19 |
| Distribution & Dubbing | 54 | 54 |
| Industry Initatives | 19 | 19 |
| Nordic Talents Prizes (Development) | 3 | 3 |
Gender balance in total number of production support applications vs. total number of approvals
| Applied | Approvals | Approval percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 107 | 73 | |
| Producer | |||
| Female | 39 | 24 | 62% |
| Male | 34 | 22 | 65% |
| Mixed* | 34 | 27 | 79% |
| Director | |||
| Female | 42 | 31 | 74% |
| Male | 64 | 42 | 66% |
| Mixed* | 1 | 0 | 0 % |
| Writer** | |||
| Female | 21 | 13 | 62% |
| Male | 44 | 30 | 68% |
| Mixed* | 15 | 11 | 73% |
Gender balance in approvals vs application category
| Applied | Approval | Approval percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Producer | |||
| Female | 16 | 10 | 63% |
| Male | 16 | 9 | 56% |
| Mixed* | 16 | 11 | 69% |
| Director | |||
| Female | 19 | 13 | 68% |
| Male | 29 | 17 | 59% |
| Mixed* | 0 | 0 | |
| Writer | |||
| Female | 11 | 6 | 55% |
| Male | 26 | 17 | 65% |
| Mixed* | 8 | 7 | 88% |
| Applied | Approval | Approval percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Producer | |||
| Female | 12 | 6 | 50% |
| Male | 8 | 5 | 63% |
| Mixed* | 15 | 13 | 87% |
| Director | |||
| Female | 13 | 10 | 77% |
| Male | 22 | 14 | 64% |
| Mixed* | 0 | 0 | |
| Writer | |||
| Female | 10 | 7 | 70% |
| Male | 18 | 13 | 72% |
| Mixed | 7 | 4 | 57% |
| Applied | Approval | Approval percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Producer | |||
| Female | 12 | 8 | 67% |
| Male | 10 | 8 | 80% |
| Mixed* | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Director | |||
| Female | 10 | 8 | 80% |
| Male | 13 | 11 | 85% |
| Mixed* | 1 | 0 | 0% |
*Mixed is cases where the function was shared by persons of different genders
**Writer is based only on feature film/drama series
Note: No other genders than male/female applied for support in 2022. If two or more of the same gender shared the function, they are counted as one in the table.
| Total | 54 |
| Denmark | 15 |
| Finland | 7 |
| Iceland | 5 |
| Norway | 10 |
| Sweden | 16 |
| Total | 12 |
| Films | 5 |
| Series | 7 |
| Total | 19 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| Finland | 0 |
| Iceland | 3 |
| Norway | 7 |
| Sweden | 6 |
| Total | 3 |
| Films | 2 |
| Series | 1 |
| Distribution (Single film) | 32 |
| Slate distribution (2-3 films) | 6 |
| Dubbing | 16 |
| Total | 54 |
| Denmark | 18 |
| Finland | 4 |
| Iceland | 11 |
| Norway | 13 |
| Sweden | 8 |
| Total | 19 |
| Denmark | 8 |
| Finland | 1 |
| Iceland | 2 |
| Norway | 5 |
| Sweden | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
Nordic cinema distribution
Denmark
After a slow start, and with cinema theatres closed during the first two weeks of January 2022 due to Covid restrictions, cinema-goers in Denmark resumed one of their favourite leisure activities. Total attendance ended up at 10.3 million in 2022, up 49% from 2021, although 20% down from pre-pandemic times, according to the Danish Film Institute, based on provisional figures from FAFID.
Danish Admission Charts 2022: CLICK HERE.
Finland
The cinema market in Finland was on a mending path after Covid. In 2022 the market jumped 70.2% year on year in admission terms to 5.8 million, and 82.8% in gross box office revenue to €18.73 million, although ticket sales were 32% down the 2015-2019 annual average, according to preliminary figures from the Finnish Film Foundation. There was also an all-time-high record of domestic releases, with 60 releases, such as The Grump: In Search of an Escort (Mielensäpahoittaja Eskorttia etsimässä), Super Furball Saves the Future (Supermarsu 2) and the English language film My Sailor, My Love (Rakkaani merikapteeni).
Finnish Admission Charts 2022: CLICK HERE.
Iceland
General attendance in Iceland (which remains one of the strongest per capita in the world) is slowly rebounding, as ticket sales in 2022 soared 10.4% from 2021 to 845,699, and gross box office revenue 18% to ISK 1.2 billion, although total revenues were still 33% down from 2019, according to the rights holders’ association FRÍSK. Icelandic films posted a 9% market share in admission terms (10% in B.O. gross) thanks largely to one film - the comedy The Very Last Fishing Trip (Allra síðasta veiðiferðin), which garnered 24,258 admissions.
Icelandic Admission Charts 2022: CLICK HERE.
Norway
According to the Norwegian cinema association Film & Kino’s Yearbook 2022, box office revenues in Norway were up 63.1% to NOK 1.1 billion and admissions up 54.8% from 2021 to 8.76 million, although still around 30% below pre-pandemic level. A total of 216 films premiered in 2022 including 32 Norwegian films - the highest volume since 2018. Three Norwegian films were among the 10 biggest grossers of 2022: War Sailor (Krigsseileren), Teddy’s Christmas (Teddybjørnens jul) and The Olsen Gang - Last Scream! (Olsenbanden - Siste skrik!).
Norwegian Admission Charts 2022: CLICK HERE.
Sweden
Cinema-going picked up significantly during the year, and Swedish films benefitted as well from the upward trend, although only one local title, I am Zlatan (Jag är Zlatan), passed 200,000 admissions in 2022. Compared to 2021, all figures were on the upswing as cinema restrictions were lifted, and film suppliers could finally release their titles that had been bottlenecked due to the pandemic. Data from the Swedish cinema association Svenska Biografägareförbundet shows that the total box office grosses at SEK 1.39 billion were up 57.4% and admissions at 10.4 million also up more than 57% year on year. The top 10 was dominated by American titles, but Swedish films saw a 61.6% increase from the year before.
Swedish Admission Charts 2022: CLICK HERE.
| FEBRUARY | TV Drama Vision/Nordic Film Market (Göteborg Film Festival) |
| MARCH | CPH:DOX Forum (CPH:DOX) |
| APRIL | Our Stories, Our Future (International Sámi Film Institute) |
| MAY | Festival de Cannes |
| JUNE | Nordisk Panorama Doc Forward |
| AUGUST | New Nordic Films (Den Norske Filmfestivalen), Oslo Pix |
| SEPTEMBER | Nordisk Panorama/ Forum (Nordisk Panorama), Finnish Film Affair (Helsinki International Filmfestival), Nordic Talents (Nordisk Film & TV Fond) The Nordic Council Film Prize and session (The Nordic Council/ The Nordic Council of Ministers), Oslo Series Days/Scandinavian Screening (NRK), Nordic Script Lab 1 (Nordisk Film & TV Fond, NRK) |
| OCTOBER | Creating Content for Young Audiences (Icelandic Film Centre) |
| NOVEMBER | NorDok Stavanger, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Content London (C21 Media), The Nordic Council Film Prize and sessions (The Nordic Council/The Nordic Council of Ministers) |
| DECEMBER | Content London: The International Drama Summit (C21 Media) |
- In 2022 the Fund had 6 employees, corresponding to 5.5 man-labour years.
- The Fund paid pension contributions for its employees.
- The administration's absence due to illness was equal to 2%.
- The working conditions are highly satisfactory, in terms of space, equipment and environment.
- CEO compensation: NOK 1,409,546 including salary, pension contributions, holiday allowance and other remuneration.
- Board members fee: NOK 22,500 for the Board Members, and NOK 30,000 for the Chairperson.
- The Board of Directors held three board meetings: 5 April, 9 June and 18 November.
- The accounts for 2022 were audited by the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.
- The accounting firm Nitschke & Borgting was retained for assistance on salary payment and accounts.
- The Fund's operations do not pollute the external environment.
In 2022, due to GDPR, the Fund gathered updated e-mail consents. Do you still want the latest industry news and updates? Join or re-join our newsletter: CLICK HERE.
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