Last Friday at the panel “Theatrical Distribution in the Nordics” held at Helsinki’s Finnish Film Affair, Scandinavian Film Distribution’s CEO Michael Fleischer said we need big local films to reconnect Nordic audiences with local fare. (See separate story: CLICK HERE). It’s now mission accomplished as local films dominated the Nordic film charts last weekend.

In Denmark, Henrik Ruben Genz’s biopic A Lucky Man (Bamse), about Denmark’s beloved singer/musician Flemming “Bamse” Jørgensen, continues to dominate the local charts after five weeks on screens. The Nimbus Film production starring Anders W. Berthelsen in the title role, has now sold nearly 360,000 tickets for Nordisk Film, making it the second biggest Danish film of 2022 after Niels Arden Oplev’s Rose.

After UIP’s romcom Ticket to Paradise, Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness opened at number 3 for SF Studios, selling 15,065 tickets from 83 screens.

Speaking to nordicfilmandtvnews.com. Pia Grünler, SF Studios’ Nordic Head of Theatrical Distribution said the results were “in line with the group’s expectations and in line with the opening figures of The Square, Östlund’s previous Palme d’or.

The Danish comedy All for Four by Rasmus Heide-latest instalment in Nordisk Film’s franchise, kept a good position at number 5, just after Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling.

The fourth film co-written by and starring comedian Mick Øgendahl, added 9,789 admissions to reach 241,705 after seven weeks on screens.

In Finland, Grump 3, third feature in the franchise about the stubborn elderly farmer, stayed firm at number 1 after three weeks on screens. So far, the film directed by Mika Kaurismäki has sold 105,312 tickets for Nordisk Film.

The local comedy Häät ennen hautajaisia by actor-turned-director Kari Ketonen went straight at number 2 for its opening weekend, selling 13,078 tickets from 110 screens for Finnkino/Nelonen.

Timo Koivusalo’s comedy Herman the Circus Clown (Pelle Hermanni) based on the beloved TV character ,seduced an extra 11,097 Finns. Total admissions so far have passed 40,000 for the Aurora Studios release.

Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness released by SF Studios entered the Finnish chart at number 10, selling 2,100 tickets from 43 screens, with an admission-per-screen average of 49.

In Iceland, top actress/writer/director/producer Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir has successfully delivered a B.O. hit in 12 Hours to Destruction (Abbababb!), one of Iceland’s rare music and dance films for kids.

For the second consecutive weekend, the film distributed by Sena ruled at the B.O., adding 2,704 admissions from 9 screens. So far 6,366 young and elder Icelanders have watched the film produced by the Icelandic Film Company, in co-production with Magnúsdóttir’s CUBS Productions, Sagafilm and Finland’s Solar Films.

Another female director is scoring at the local box office - Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir with her film A Letter from Helga (Svar við bréfi Helgu), ranked number 5 after four weeks on screens. So far 7,050 Icelanders have watched Hjörleifsdóttir’s sophomore feature after the acclaimed The Swan, featuring a forbidden love affair, set in the 1940s.

The local documentary Welcome Árni by Viktoría Hermannsdóttir entered the chart at number 10, selling 480 tickets from one a single screen at Bío Paradís.

At the same time, Iceland’s Oscar contender Beautiful Beings is nearing 10,000 admissions for Sena after 23 weeks on screens.

In Norway, the mega-epic war movie War Sailor by Gunnar Vikene opened straight at number 1, selling 60,225 tickets (including previews) from 272 screens for Scandinavian Film Distribution - via Ymer Media. The drama which won the Audience Award in Haugesund, has just been picked as Norway’s Oscar entry.

Olsenbanden-siste skrik, the latest film in the Olsen gang popular franchise, was pushed by War Sailor from 1^st to 2^nd place in its 4^th week on screens. The comedy toplining Elias Holmen Sørensen, John Carew and Anders Baasmo Christiansen, has sold 163,707 tickets for Nordisk Film.

The Swedish animated film Albert Åberg directed by Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’s Tomas Alfredson, entered strongly at number 6, selling nearly 6,000 tickets for Storytelling Media.

Meanwhile Kristoffer Borgli’s satire Sick of Myself and Cannes Un Certain Regard entry, came in at number 9 for Ymer Media/Scandinavian Film Distribution with 2,413 extra tickets sold last weekend, bringing the total tally to 26,370.

Erik Poppe’s The Emigrants just made it at number 10 in its 4th week on screens, with 1,619 admissions from 97 screens. Total numbers are now at 44,825 for the SF Norge release.

The Norwegian documentary Si ingenting about rap artist Kamelen continues to perform strongly for Norsk Filmdistribusjon. After five weeks, the film by Rolv Lyssand Bjørø has attracted 25,563 film fans.

Two Danish films also made it in the top 20: Rose released by Fidalgo and Speak No Evil released by Another World, which sold respectively 5,142 and 2,519 tickets after two weeks.

In Sweden, Björn Runge’s much awaited local period drama Burn All My Letters went straight to number 1 for its opening weekend. SF Studios’ Grünler said the 22,602 admissions for the film’s opening weekend were “in line with SF’s expectations”.

SF Studios’ other local offering, the animated film Mamma Moo Finds Her Way Home ranked number 6 last weekend. The family film co-directed by Christian Ryltenius and Tomas Tivemark has sold a total of 44,315 tickets after three weeks.

Sources: FAFID, Danish Film Institute, SF Studios, FRÍSK, Icelandic Film Centre, Finnish Film Foundation, Filmikamari, Norske Filmbyråers Forening, Filmweb.no, Filmägarnas Kontrollbyrå.