13 participants selected for NFTVF’s Nordic Script out of record number of applicants

The participants for the next edition of Nordic Script have been selected. The initiative is organised for the 3rd time by Nordisk Film & TV Fond and its Nordic Script partners NRK/Oslo Series Days, GIFF TV Drama Vision, and City of Helsinki.

In late May, Nordisk Film & TV Fond finished its 2nd edition of Nordic Script. The Emmy-winning writer Susan Soon He Stanton (Succession) initially met the participants on their first lab in Oslo. Eager to continue the dialogue, she then came to Helsinki for the group’s final Nordic Script lab. She also attended the very first Script Summit in Helsinki, organised by the Finnish Writers’ Guild.

“It was a tremendous honour to reconnect with the cohort of the Nordic Script writers. They draw deeply from their unique cultures and perspectives, and their projects have diverse themes, such as the preservation of Finnish music, satiric geological disasters, complex portraits of family, romantic relationships, tales of immigration woes, and a Swedish religious rock icon, among others.”

Stanton tells NFTVF that she was also impressed by the work processes and the creative networking that took place between her two meetings with the group:

“I first connected with this vibrant and diverse group in Oslo in 2023, when they were in an earlier phase of their creative process. Over the course of the past several months, I have observed how these writers have worked closely with their mentors and each other to evolve their films and series to the next level. I have been moved when witnessing how this group of individual writers at different stages of their careers have become a supportive collective across various countries and languages over the course of the programme, and the way the Nordic writers are working with their mentors and using each other as resources to nurture their artistic growth. I look forward to watching their creations.”

The upcoming Nordic Script edition welcomed all formats, and especially projects with Nordic co-production potential. 10 scriptwriters (working with 9 projects), 2 producers and 1 story editor have been selected from over 80 applications, and are now confirmed for Nordic Script 2024-2025.

SELECTED PROJECTS/SCRIPTWRITERS:

As a Matter of Sex (Drama/comedy)
A series written by María Sólrún

María Sólrún from Iceland has an extensive resume as a director and writer for features and TV series. Her features, Jargoand Adam, premiered at the Berlinale. She studied screenwriting at the German Film and Television Academy. On several occasions, Sólrún has been a tutor for labs and masterclasses in Italy, Mexico, and Germany. Her latest work as a director and writer was on the TV crime series Tatort: Borowski und das hungrige Herz.

WILL (Historical drama)
A film written by Puk Grasten

Danish Puk Grasten writes and directs films based on her own life, which she elevates by placing it in the context of a larger social issue. She wants people to identify with the film and challenge their perception of the society we live in. Grasten is an alumna from NYU Tisch Grad Film (MFA). Her thesis feature film 37 (2016) won Best Director and Best Film by the Critics at the A-film festival Moscow International Film Festival. Her latest feature Den, Der Lever Stille (2023) has been showcased at various international film festivals, including USA's oldest indie festival in Houston, where it won three main awards.

The Boy From the Sea (Fantasy)
A film written by Johanna Pyykkö

Johanna Pyykkö is a Swedish-Finnish-Norwegian filmmaker. She has both written and directed for TV-series, as well as made the multi-awarded short The Manila Lover, which premiered in the Cannes Film Festival's Critics' Week (2019). Pyykkö holds a BA in directing from The Norwegian Film School along with a degree in screenwriting from the Alma Löv Script Academy. She newly directed and co-wrote My Wonderful Stranger (Min fantastiske fremmede), which received the ”Arte Kino Award” at MIA Rome, and premiered at the Premiers Plans d'Angers and in the Dragon Award competition at the Göteborg Film Festival. My Wonderful Stranger had its theatrical release in Norway in 2024, receiving acclaim from the critics. The feature will be released in French theatres in July 2024.

Birthright (Horror/drama)
A mini-series written by Jørgen Færøy Flasnes

Jørgen Færøy is a a Norwegian screenwriter with experience from shorts, TV series and feature films. He has a bachelor’s degree in screenwriting from The Norwegian Film School. In addition to Birthright, Færøy is currently working on two features, which have received development funding from the Norwegisn Film Institute’s NEO scheme. Another two features also recently received production funding from NFI. He co-wrote his first feature My Wonderful Stranger with Johanna Pyykkö.

Find Me (Psychological horror)
A film written by Ninni Saajola.

Ninni Saajola is an experienced Finnish screenwriter and dramaturgist. She is also the Chair of the Screenwriters’ Guild in Finland. Ninni has a bachelor's degree in Writing for Film & Television from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, USA, and a Master's Degree in Screenwriting from Tampere University in Finland. She has worked as an episode writer and staff writer on multiple television shows in various genres. She has also written film, documentary and audio drama scripts. Her latest projects include writing episodes for the Helsinki Syndrome (Helsinki-syndrooma) series, and co-writing the in-development film Chili Love.

You Must Bleed (Psychological thriller)
A film written by Samir Arabzadeh, co-written by Viktor Lundin

Samir Arabzadeh is an award-winning filmmaker born in Iran and raised in Sweden. He is moving seamlessly between live-action and animation, between fiction and documentary. He graduated with a degree in Film and Screen Production from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Arabzadeh’s most recent project, the documentary Powernapper’s Paradise, had its international premiere at Hot Docs in Toronto, and went on to screen at more than 40 festivals. Arabzadeh is in late post-production of his first full length film Tilt.

The Earwig (Satire)
A film written by Sebastian Johansson Micci

Sebastian Johansson Micci is a writer/director from Sweden. He has worked as a writer, director and editor of his many award-winning shorts. He has a bachelor’s degree in in film from HDK Valand, and has completed additional courses within film and documentary. The last few years he has also gained experience as a DoP at the Stockholm City Theatre, and as a jury member at Sweden’s Short Film Festival. Micci has also attended talent labs in Reykjavik, Fårö, and Uppsala.

What is Love? (Drama/comedy)
A film written by Paula Vesala

Paula Vesala is a multifaceted artist with a career as a musician, actor, dramaturge and screenwriter from Finland. She started out studying music, then gained her bachelor's degree in dramaturgy from the Theatre Academy, University of Arts Helsinki, and her master’s degree in playwriting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Vesala has recently worked as a screenwriter for the feature Hamsters (Hamsterit).

Aðstoð (Love/thriller)
A film written by Jónas Alfred Birkisson and Arnar Hugi Birkisson

The Icelandic Birkisson brothers Jónas and Arnar have broad backgrounds. Jónas has a BA in acting, and has worked on films and television for Netflix, CBS, Paramount etc. alongside working as a writer and producer. Arnar has a diploma in screenwriting and cinematography, and is in his final year as a medical student. Arnar has also worked in the Art dpt. both for international films such as Fast 8 and Justice League, and for Icelandic films.

SELECTED PRODUCERS/STORY EDITORS:

Magnus Kristiansen is a Norwegian film producer who previously worked with media and tech startups in Silicon Valley for more than 6 years. He has managed marketing campaigns for clients like Disney, Sony Pictures and Adidas. Kristiansen now runs the production company 20/20 Pictures AS, and Snurrehus, a content production company. He holds an MFA from The Norwegian Film School as Producer. He has an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from UC Berkeley and BI Norwegian School of Management, and a BA in Film and Television Science from Lillehammer University College. He has produced three features, including the western/thriller Swamp Lion.

Carla Mantilla is an Ecuadorian producer based in Sweden, with an international background, strengthened by years in Mexico, London, Ecuador and Stockholm. She gained her master’s degree in film & media - producer for film, TV & new media from Stockholm University of the Arts. She is currently employed by Filmlance International as a film and TV producer, with relevant experience from HBO Max Nordic, SVT and SF Studios.

Elena Tarashchanskaya is a multi-skilled film and TV professional, based in Finland and Poland. She studied journalism at Russian State University of Humanities, and worked, among other things, as creative producer, screenwriter, and story editor. Before moving to Finland in 2011, she worked at the Sony Pictures Television International branch in Moscow. She was the first immigrant screenwriter in Finland to create and develop a high-concept comedy series. The series Mother in Paw (Ei Haukku haavaa tee) was commissioned and released by Finland’s largest streaming platform Elisa Viihde, and ran for two successful seasons.

For the 2023-2024 Nordic Script participants and their projects: CLICK HERE.
For the 2022-2023 edition: CLICK HERE.