Exclusive: A record 30 upcoming Nordic TV dramas and docs will be pitched at the exclusive mini-market held for the first time in Reykjavik (June 06-08).

The 4th screening and pitching event held every second year is organised by DR Sales, YLE Sales, SVT Sales, NRK, RUV, in association with Nordic World, TV2, and support from the Danish Film Institute, the Norwegian Film Institute, the Icelandic Film Centre and Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

More than 100 international TV professionals are expected including key buyers and leading broadcasting groups such as BBC, AMC Networks, Fox Networks, Canal+, France Television, Arte France, Lumière, ZDF and Mediaset. Guests will be able to watch more than 180 of the best recent Nordic TV programmes–TV series, docs, kids shows, non-scripted formats-plus 30 pitches of high end dramas and docs from their creators and producers.

Jóhannes B. Skúlason, Head of international programme sales, RUV Sales said: “It is extremely important and an honour for us at RUV to host Scandinavian Screening as we have been increasing emphasis on producing Icelandic drama and other television series with a global appeal. Bigger budgets for better quality is hard for a small market like Iceland with only 330,000 habitants, and funds for TV productions here at that scale are scarce. We need bigger markets for our content and ‘Scandinavian Screening’ gives a great opportunity to build and strengthen our relationship with a) our great friends, producers and public broadcasters in the Nordics and b) the buyers for our content from all over the world.”

Jukka Kaivola, YLE Head of Sales said: “I believe Scandinavian Screenings presents a unique opportunity for the international customers to focus on the very latest and upcoming Nordic programmes in a peaceful and stress-free environment. Last time we received lots of positive feedback and hopefully our customers’ expectations will be met this time too.”

Helene Aurø, DR Sales’ Sales and Marketing Director and initiator of the event said: “We will introduce our key buyers to the best Nordic programmes and to our culture. This is our way to thank them for their on-going support. We’ve just recently started representing as well RUV programmes and are therefore extremely happy to welcome so many people from so many territories in Reykjavik.“ Commenting on the record number of pitches, Aurø said: “This is what we can achieve when we join forces”.

The pitching sessions will comprise a few projects already presented at the Berlinale and Series Mania such as Finland’s crime show Deadwind (Dionysos Films/YLE), drama series The Peacemaker (MRP Matila Röhr Productions/YLE), Norway’s crime thriller Twin (Nordisk Film/NRK) starring and co-created by Games of Thrones’ Kristofer Hivju, the football comedy Homeground (Motlys/NRK) starring Ane Dahl Torp and John Carew and oil epic State of Happiness (Maipo/NRK) directed by Petter Næss.

But most projects will be pitched for the very first time. Those include Iceland’s most ambitious film & TV drama to date Independent People to be directed and co-written by Baltasar Kormákur based on Halldór Laxness’s classic novel (RVK Studios/RUV), the thriller Valhalla Murders by Thor Palsson (Truenorth/RUV), DR Drama’s next flagship family drama Liberty starring Sofie Gråbøl, Carsten Bjørnlund and Connie Nielsen, and SVT Drama’s brand new Swedish comedy drama The Days When the Flowers Bloom by Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves’ director Simon Kaijser and writer Jonas Gardell.

Looking ahead, Aurø said she anticipates Scandinavian Screening to continue its tour of Nordic capitals after Copenhagen, Stockholm and now Reykjavik.

Watch out for our comprehensive coverage next week of Scandinavian Screening.