The established Norwegian production house Mer Film headed by Maria Ekerhovd is launching today its own co-production Cathedrals of Culture directly in Norwegian cinemas and testing the water of self-distribution.
This alternative distribution model is rapidly growing in popularity amongst European independent producers, whether they are forced to use it because their film doesn’t find a distributor or they choose to do so to have a quicker and more direct access to paying customers. In Finland a handful of producers – Snapper Films, Långfilm Productions, Bufo Oy- have chosen this DIY technique (see our article (click here) but in Norway, so far only Tappeluft Films’ specialised in genre films, and other smaller producers have tested self-distribution on micro budget Norwegian films made outside the system, i.e. without support from the Norwegian Film Institute.
Maria Ekerhovd (pictured) says she decided to set up her own distribution arm under the ‘Mer Film’ brand to ‘be better at reaching the audience’ and to improve her knowledge of the entire filmmaking chain. “Our films are driven by directors’ visions. We want the audience to have a better understanding of our directors’ vision by handling communication and promotion from the very outset”. To help her in this task she has hired Øistein Refseth, former PR and communication person at Arthaus.
The 3D documentary Cathedrals of Culture produced by Wim Wenders’s Neue Road Movies (with Scandi partners including Denmark’s Film Cut and Mer Film) is the first title to open under Mer Film’s banner. The next film will be Out of Nature directed by Ole Giæver (The Mountain), scheduled for a September 19 release. “We financed the film without a distributor’s MG so we grabbed the opportunity to try to release the film ourselves”, stresses Ekerhovd.
However not all Mer Film productions will be self-distributed. SF that released the company’s previous titles I am Yours and Vegas, will distribute on October 31 Mer Film’s potential cross over comedy Here is Harold by Gunnar Vikene (picked up by TrustNordisk) and is planning a major Christmas day 2014 release for Dirk Ohm-The Illusionist by Palme d’or short film winner Bobbie Peers (Sniffer).
Stine Helgeland, Head of Promotion and International Relations at the Norwegian Film Institute says she is watching closely Mer Film’s initiative. “The market is changing and it’s tougher and tougher for independent producers to get distributors on board projects that are not seen as mainstream. Unlike other producers who tested self-distribution but failed because they didn’t have experts helping them, Maria has hired Øistein Refseth who comes from Arthaus, among the best distributors of challenging films in Norway so I do hope she will succeed. Nevertheless, distribution is still a specific trade that requires talent, expertise and the desire to take risks”.