J-P Valkeapää, Mårten Klingberg films and three TV series receive funding

TV SERIES

• Missing People (Försvunna människor)
  Format: 6x45’
  Grant: NOK 2,500,000
  Recipient: Unlimited Stories, Sweden
  Producer: Patrick Ryborn
  Head-writer: Ulf Ryberg
  Director: Tova Magnusson
  Key cast: Ville Virtanen, Sandra Stojiljkovic, Peter Viitanen
  Commissioning broadcaster: SVT
  World sales: Reinvent International Sales
  
  Story: On a hot summer day, Erwin drives over the Öresund Bridge into Sweden, with eight smuggled Syrian refugees in his truck. Among them is a pregnant woman Mouna and a young feverish boy, who cannot cope with the stuffy air in the tank. Erwin hides them in the back of his cabin, when he sees a police road check in front of him.
  
  “It’s basically about good guys who take the wrong decisions and how it will affect them,” said producer Patrick Ryborn. The series currently filming is co-produced by Film i Väst, with co-financing from NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, C More/MTV3 in Finland, RÚV in Iceland, and Lumiere Group in the Benelux.
  
  The premiere is scheduled for 2022.

• Enemy of the People (Kansan Vihollinen)
  Grant: NOK 1,000,000
  Recipient: Fire Monkey Productions, Finland
  Producers: Hannu Kalliolahti, Roope Lehtinen, Saara Kankaanpää
  Head-writer: Timo Varpio, episodic writer Laura Laura Suhonen
  Concept Director: Mikko Kuparinen
  Key cast: Kreeta Salminen, Tobias Zilliacus, Mikko Nousiainen, Johannes Holopainen
  Commissioning broadcaster: C More/MTV3
  Global sales: Reinvent International Sales
  
  Story: News reporter Katja incurs the wrath of her readers by writing a critical article about the hometown hero, a football star who appears to be mixed up in dubious business schemes. When the athlete is found dead in the swimming pool at his Mediterranean villa, Katja investigates the case.
  
  She discovers that the public seems more interested in the titillating lies about her than the truth about the murder. As she searches for the truth, she risks not only her reputation, but her life.
  
  “Through the crime genre, the series explores “what it’s like to do investigative reporting in a time when trolls, claims of fake news and the targeting of journalists are facts of life,” said Fire Monkey producers.
  
  Filming in Tampere finished end of July and will resume in September in Barcelona.

• VESTA-LINNÉA
  Format 12X12’
  Grant: NOK 500 000
  Recipient: Långfilm Productions, Finland
  Head-writer: Annika Enckell
  Director: Anna Blom
  Commissioning broadcaster: Svenska Yle
  Story: Vesta-Linnéa is based on Tove Appelgren´s books, published in 11 languages. The Vesta-Linnéa series deals with universal themes of friendship, love, grief, envy and stress through the eyes of an 8-year old girl. Details soon to be announced.

FEATURE FILMS

• HIT BIG
  Grant: NOK 1,500,000
  Recipient: Komeetta Film, Finland
  Producer: Daniel Kuitunen
  Director: J-P Valkeapää
  Writer: J-P Valkeapää
  Domestic distribution: Scandinavian Film Distribution
  Story: The latest feature by J-P Valkeapää (Dogs Don’t Wear Pants) is a crime comedy set on the Spanish Costa del Sol. A Finnish family abandoned by a crime boss set on a mission to steal the haul of a major heist.
  
  Daniel Kuitunen said: “It’s a thrilling and entertaining crime comedy, written by J-P, with great characters depicted by top cast. It’s at the same time comic and tragic. According J-P, it’s a film with a powerfully beating heart under a battered shell!”
  
  The project currently in pre-production, is due to start filming in October in Spain. It’s a co-production with Estonia’s Stellar Film, and Spanish service producer Orange Valley Canarias. The film received co-financing from Yle, support from the Finnish Film Foundation, the Estonian Film Institute and tax rebate schemes from Spain and Estonia. Cast and crew will be announced in the fall.
• Second Act (Andra Akten)-working title
  Grant: NOK 1,500,000
  Recipient: Nordisk Film Production Sweden
  Producer: Johanna Bergenstråhle
  Director: Mårten Klingberg
  Writers: Vera Kiiskinen, Anna Heinämaa
  Key cast: Lena Olin, Rolf Lassgård, Lars Väringer, Görel Crona, Charlie Gustafsson,
  Domestic distribution: Nordisk Film Distribution
  Story: Eva’s life isn’t great; she’s divorced, her son doesn’t need her and she’s just retired. When she takes a job to help rehabilitate a star actor who suffered a stroke, things change. As their friendship grows, she realises life may just have begun...
  
  Johanna Bergenstråhle said: “It’s basically the story of a mature woman, who has spent her entire life taking care of others, who now chooses herself. It’s a story seldom told, and never with this humour, warmth and stellar cast.”
  
  The film is co-financed by SVT, Film i Väst with support from the Swedish Film Institute. Filming is underway, with a premiere set for the fall 2022.

Distribution Support

• NOK 170,000 in slate support to Øst for Paradis in Denmark, for the release of the Norwegian documentary Gunda and Norwegian feature film Ninja Baby.
• NOK150,000 to Arthaus, Norway for the release of the Swedish film Run, Uje Run.
• NOK 90,000 to Aurora Studios for the release of the Swedish film The Other Side.
• NOK 70,000 to Atlantic Film, Finland for the release of the Swedish film Sune, Mission Midsummer.
• NOK 45,000 to Tour de Force, Norway for the release of A Taste of Hunger
• NOK 40,000 to Nordisk Film Distribution, Denmark for the release of the Norwegian drama Betrayed.
  

Industry Initiatives Support

• NOK 100,000 to the Helsinki International Film Festival-Love & Anarchy for Nordic Flair.