Göran Hugo Olsson, Goran Kapetanović among latest Fund recipients

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

FEATURE FILMS

• Earth Song
  Grant: NOK 800,000
  Recipient: Sons of Lumière
  Producers: Erol Mintas, Mete Sasioglu
  Writer/director: Erol Mintas
  Domestic distribution: TBA
  Logline: A Kurdish-Finnish woman finds her life and family crumbling apart, as her father makes an unexpected, devastating visit, which forces her to confront her complicated past with the father and her adopted 12-year-old daughter.
  
  “Since 2017, when I arrived in Helsinki, I’ve wanted to make a film about a family in Finland that consists of different generations who speak many languages and come from diverse backgrounds. I wanted to explore the notion of ‘untold truth’ and discover the impact of the roots, truth, or lies within this family,” said Mintas.
  
  The film is being co-produced by Germany’s Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer of Elemag Pictures, with co-financing from Folkets Bio in Sweden, the Finnish Film Foundation, Yle, The Church Media Foundation, The Finnish Impact Film Fund and Germany’s Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM). Filming is due to start in April 2024.
• The Elf (Tonttu)
  Grant: NOK 2,200,000
  Recipient: Oktober, Finland
  Producer: Joonas Berghäll
  Directors: Hannes Vartiainen, Joonas Berghäll
  Writers: Veera Tyhtilä, Hannes Vartiainen, Joonas Berghäll
  Distribution: Scanbox
  Logline: Elf is an adventure film for children and families. It is set in the world of elves, where all Christmas presents of the world are made. It’s a story about orphan sisters who get separated and have to learn to navigate the world on their own.
  
  The first children’s film produced by Oktober is being co-produced by Norway’s Rein Film and Belgium’s Umedia, with co-financing from the Finnish Film Foundation, YLE, the Norwegian Film Institute, Filmfond Nord, Film Camp, the City of Kemi, and Belgian tax incentives. Filming is set to start in the spring 2024.
• Little Ghost Laban (Lilla spöket Laban)
  Grant: NOK 1,100,000
  Recipient: Art & Bob, Sweden
  Producer: Cecilie Forsberg Becker, Elsa Fröslin
  Director: Lasse Persson
  Domestic distribution: SF Studios
  Logline: The beloved children’s book character created by Inger and Lasse Sandberg is back with new adventures around the castle of Gomorronsol. Laban is afraid of the dark. Laban wants nothing more than to be scary, but he only manages to scare himself.
  The animation film co-produced by Slugger Film, has received support from Film i Skåne and the Swedish Film Institute.

DRAMA SERIES

• Vanguard (formerly known as Stenbeck)
  Format: 5x45’
  Grant: NOK 2,800,000
  Recipient: FLX, Sweden
  Producer: Lejla Bešić
  Writers: Alex Haridi (head-writer), Lotta Eriksson (episodic writer)
  Concept director: Goran Kapetanović
  Cast: Jakob Oftebro
  Logline: This is the story of Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck – about life in the fast lane, the big deals, the successes, the personal consequences and the relationships in the family that never healed from their feuds.
  
  The screenplay is based on Per Andersson's book ‘Stenbeck: a biography of a successful businessman’. Vanguard is among the first slate of series ordered by the public broadcasters DR, SVT, YLE, NRK, RÚV, ZDF, NPO and VRT, as part of their New8 co-production and distribution venture. Filming is due to start in February 2024.

• Shut Up
  Format: 6x25’
  Grant: NOK 900,000
  Recipient: Alfredfilm, Norway
  Producer: Sije Burgin Borch
  Writers: Sije Burgin Borch (head-writer), Vegard Bjørsmo and Kathrine Nedrejord (episodic writers)
  Director: Torstein Bjørklund
  Key cast: Vegard Bjørsmo
  Commissioner: NRK
  Logline: The story follows a group of high school friends in the heart of Sápmi, Karasjok. It’s about friendship, struggles, love, and what happens when an accusation of rape changes everything.
  
  "It’s a series about breaking the silence, how it is to grow up in small places where openness and speaking out can be difficult. But at the same time, the creative team wants to tell the story with great love for life in small places far up north," said Burgin Borch about the first Sámi youth series.
  
  The NRK series in pre-production, has received co-financing from Yle. It is supported by the International Sámi Film Institute, the Norwegian Film Institute, Film Fund North, the Audio and Visual Fund Norway and Bergesenstiftelsen. The premiere is set for November 2024.

DOCUMENTARY

• 1 Holy Land
  Grant: NOK 1,000,000
  Recipient: Story AB, Sweden
  Producer: Tobias Janson
  Director: Göran Hugo Olsson
  Domestic distribution: Folkets Bio, SVT
  Logline: A comprehensive and consequential look on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the unique and immersive footage in the Swedish national TV archives.
  
  The anticipated new archive-based documentary from the multi-awarded director of The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, Concerning Violence, is being co-produced by Finland’s Tekele Productions, SVT and Film i Väst, with co-financing from YLE, DR, Folkets Bio, AVEK, the Swedish Film Institute, the Finnish Film Foundation and Creative Europe MEDIA slate funding. Delivery is slated for spring 2025.

DISTRIBUTION AND DUBBING SUPPORT

• NOK 200,000 to Scanbox, Denmark for the release of the Swedish film Stockholm Bloodbath.
• NOK 150,000 to Ymer Media, Norway for the release of the Swedish film Stockholm Bloodbath.
• NOK 150,000 to Scandinavian Film Distribution, Finland for the release of the Norwegian film There’s Something in the Barn.
• NOK 150,000 to Arthaus, Norway for the release of the Finnish film Fallen Leaves.
• NOK 100,000 to Cinemanse, Finland for the release of the Swedish film Stockholm Bloodbath.
• NOK 100,000 to Camera Film, Denmark for the release of the Finnish film Fallen Leaves.
• NOK 100,000 to Nordisk Film, Finland for the release of the Norwegian family film Teddy’s Christmas.
• NOK 60,000 to Camera Film, Denmark for the release of the Swedish documentary The Gullspång Miracle.
• NOK 50,000 to Another Entertainment Norway for the release of the Finnish film Je’Vida.
• NOK 50,000 to Another World, Norway for the release of the Icelandic film Operation Napoleon.
• NOK 40,000 to SF Studios, Denmark for the release of the Swedish film Together 99.
• NOK 90,000 to Myndform, Iceland for the dubbing into Icelandic of the Danish film All I Want for Christmas 3.
• NOK 90,000 to Nordisk Film, Finland for the dubbing into Finnish of the Norwegian family film Teddy’s Christmas.