Swedish production outfit Bob Film wishes its talents and projects to reach wider audiences across platforms and territories. Ulf Malmros' Metal Brothers, Patrik Eklund's Flimmer are some of the new projects that will test the ground for the company's tighter focus on market demand.
Since 2000 Bob Film has produced over 20 quality films and TV dramas, combining commercial hits (The Wedding Photographer, Laban the little Ghost), with edgier artistic projects (In Your Veins, The King of Ping Pong) and prime time TV content (Those in Power mini-series). Under producers Jan Blomgren (photo) and Anna Croneman's aegis, the company has favoured title by title distribution agreements to output deals.
Today, Blomgren casts a pragmatic look on Bob Film's growth potential. His strategy for the next three years is three-fold: to exploit his company's products on different platforms, to push his talents on a Nordic level and to increase his international co-productions.
For him, Ulf Malmros' upcoming Metal Brothers is the type of project that can be exploited accross media and national boundaries. The SEK26.5m film that started filming on Monday, is backed by Film i Väst, TV4, Disney/BuenaVista Nordic and the Swedish Film Institute among others. "It's a broad comedy, featuring two brothers fans of hard rock music. Music travels well so we are already working on the marketing elements with our distributor to reach the hard rock fan base across Scandinanvia, explains Blomgren. We also plan to develop the film as a cross media property."
Flimmer, the feature film debut of award-winning short filmmaker Patrik Eklund (Oscar-nominated for Seeds of the Fall) is another project that should appeal to audiences outside Sweden and to festival programmers. "It's comedy with a special tone and a subtle and sensitive style," he said. Currently in post-production, the film stars Kjell Bergqvist, Allan Svensson, and Olle Sarri. The Swedish premiere via Nordisk Film is set for early 2012. Flimmer is backed by Filmpool Nord, SVT, Nordisk Film, with support from the Swedish and Norwegian film institutes. The Norwegian co-producer is 4½, with whom Bob Films also partnered on Pål Sletaune's upcoming Babycall. "We have a lot in common with 4½ and hopefully we can further strengthen our collaboration and share talents across the border."
Other local projects in development include a new feature film directed by Fredrik Edfledt (The Girl) and a TV series for SVT set to start production in the autumn. "It will be a fresh comedy with great names attached," says Blomgren. Further details will be announced shortly.
As for international co-productions, Bob Film is 50/50 co-producer on Stockholm Zululand, the first "genuine co-production with South Africa. " After The Killer Inside Me, Michael Winterbottom's 2010 film, Bob Films is also minority co-producer on the UK director's upcoming film Trishna starring Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto. "We're actively looking for more co-productions," adds Blomgren. "Today is a good time to expand outside Scandinavia. Everyone knows that the film industry is struggling with financing and looking for new models. Big successes like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have also made Swedish politicians realize that film has a cultural and economic weight. Hopefully, that will convince them that the support to this sector is money well spent."