Eclectic slate of eight Norwegian films set to open in cinemas Q1

Against a volatile theatrical market challenged by the latest restrictions from the government (max 50 people per screen), the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) organised on Tuesday its usual Film Spring launch, inviting local media to get a taste of upcoming national releases.

Six feature films and two documentaries across a wide range of genres, are due to open between February 18 and April.

“We have eight titles coming out this spring - an epic war drama, a good remake of the Italian hit Perfect Strangers, our first werewolf film, historical dramas, comedies and documentaries about both football and politics, so there is something for everybody here, except for children, although there are lots of films for children this autumn, fortunately” commented the NFI’s CEO Kjersti Mo to nordicfilmandtvnews.com, who also mentioned her favourites.

“I am personally looking forward to the IDFA-premiered documentary Name of the Game (Trond Giske-Makta rår) a multifaceted and reflective portrayal of the #MeToo-accused Norwegian top-politician Trond Giske, trying to reestablish his political career. It will also screen [in competition] at the Göteborg Film Festival. I am also very excited about actor Carl Martin Eggesbø, featured in the success series SKAM, who plays the main part in the war movie Narvik (Kampen om Narvik), a film we believe will attract a large audience of all ages,” she said.

Quite strikingly, the eight films are all from male directors, a fact purely linked to the distribution schedule, according to Mo, who says that several films by female directors are due to open the second half of 2022.

“Gender equality is an-ongoing undertaking, and we have seen good results from the measures we have introduced,” she said, underlying that among the features backed by the NFI between 2017-2020, 50% were from female directors and 54% from female producers. “The figures vary from year to year”, she noted.

“For the films that premiere this spring, we see a higher proportion of men directing, producing and starring, but over time the figures show that we have achieved a good gender balance. We are very concerned with promoting equality and diversity and experience that there is also great awareness of this in the film industry,” she said.

Despite uncertainties around the films’ B.O. prospects, with covid-restrictions regularly knocking down Norway’s cultural life, Mo offered a positive stance, underlying the success of local films in 2021, that secured 30% of admissions (second highest share ever), with three Norwegian films among the top sellers: Three Wishes for Cinderella, The North Sea and The Worst Person in the World.

The head of the NFI said she was confident Norwegians would flock to watch the upcoming local films, assuming the government will ease the current screen capacity cap from 50 to 200, in line with cinema owners’ demand.

Full line up of upcoming Norwegian films:

• February 18: Viking Wolf (Vikingulven) by rising talent Stig Svendsen.
  Produced by Filmkameratene, distributed by SF Studios.
  New take on the classic werewolf genre, starring Elli Müller Osborne, Sjur Vatne Brean.
• February 25: Full dekning by Arild Andresen (The Orheim Company, Home Ground)
  Produced by Storm Films, distributed by Nordisk Film.
  Norwegian version of the Italian comedy hit Perfect Strangers, with an ensemble cast including Agnes Kittelsen, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Thorbjørn Harr and Sara Khorami.
• March 4: The Outlaws (De Fredløse) by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken (An Affair, Cave).
  Produced by Film Bros, distributed by Tour de Force.
  Period crime drama about two outlaws on the road in the 1920s -the young Norwegian Johannes influential Johannes (Åsmund Høeg) and violent and charismatic Swede Mikael (Filip Berg).
• March 11: Name of the Game (Trond Giske-Makta Rår) by Håvart Bustnes (Golden Dawn Girls).
  Produced by UpNorth. Portrait of the rise and fall of Norwegian controversial politician Trond Giske.
• March 18: Narvik (Kampen om Narvik) by Erik Skjoldbjærg (Occupied, Imsomnia)
  Produced by Nordisk Film production, distributed by Nordisk Film.
  WW2 epic based on true events, capturing the two intense months in the spring of 1940, when 50 000 allied soldiers fought against the Germans in and around Narvik. Starring Carl Martin Eggesbø, Kristine Hartgen

• March 25: Allt for Norge by Jo Vemund Svendsen and Daniel Høglund.
  Produced by Fenomen Studios, distributed by SF Studios.
  Documentary about a historical football match in 1998 in Marseille when Norway beat Brazil thanks to a penalty kick from Kjetil Rekdal.
• March 25: Everyone Hates Johan (Alle hater Johan) by Hallvar Witz, Oscar-nominated for the short film Tuba Atlantic.
  Produced by Nordisk Film Production, distributed by Nordisk Film.
  Comedy about the life of Johan, a small-town loner with a flair for dynamite, who finds himself in conflict with the rural community. Starring Pål Sverre Hagen.
• April 1^st: Long Flat Balls 3 (Lange flate ballær 3) by Harald Zwart (The 12^th Man).
  Produced by Zwart Arbeid, distributed by Fra Øverste Hylle Filmdistribusjon. Third instalment in the buddy comedy feature starring Petter Jørgensen, Kai Helge Hansen, Anders Fast Fjell.