New annual The Freyas awards celebrate Nordic film and series excellence in a global community

The Freyas - Nordic Film & TV Awards, will celebrate Nordic storytelling on the international stage, as well as its creative legacy. The event will also function as an annual meeting place for the Nordic audiovisual industry and as a bridge to the international film and television community.

The event will travel between the Nordic countries, with its first edition in Helsinki in Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall on September 22. Next year’s celebrations will take place in Copenhagen, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, and Reykjavík.

Nordic directors, actors, producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, composers and other key talents will be celebrated for their work with the Nordic screen landscape, as well as for making the Nordic industry grow on an international scale. Award categories will include Outstanding Nordic Film and Outstanding Nordic Series. Other categories are yet to be announced. The awards will be granted by juries consisting of both Nordic and international professionals.

Nordic filmmakers and actors are increasingly working across borders, Nordic series are reaching audiences globally, and Nordic filmmakers are making their mark in Hollywood, as well as the world’s leading film festivals and award ceremonies. Kirpi Uimonen, journalist, producer, Golden Globe award professional and one of the founders of The Freyas, says there was a need for an initiative like the Freyas to highlight Nordic film and television strong visibility internationally:

“For years, Nordic industry professionals living in Los Angeles had been working to create visibility for films and TV series from their individual countries – a challenge that all smaller countries have in common.”

Uimonen wants to see the event bridge the Nordic industry with the international:

“The Los Angeles-based founders are used to working with the studios, with publicists, and within the awards system. Adding their knowledge to the Nordic network brimming with talent and creativity, we hope to light a match and create a bonfire of demand for our actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, composers and so on. We endeavour to create an awards event that will make people in France, or UK, or the US think: ‘If we hire that Swedish actor, or that Danish cinematographer, or that Finnish director, they might get a Freya statuette next year’.”

The initiative was conceived by Kirpi Uimonen, Joonas Nurmi, Tina Jøhnk Christensen, Anke Hofmann, and a group of Nordic film professionals and international award professionals based in the United States. They saw an opportunity to create a platform that could further strengthen the connection between the Nordic screen industries and the global film and television community.

“The idea was to fill the void and create a pan-Nordic ceremony that highlights Nordic talent and storytelling, not only in our countries, but also globally. Since all three of us; me, Tina Jøhnk Christensen and Anke Hofmann, have been living in the United States for decades, we recruited industry experts from the Nordics – first from Finland, where our inaugural honorary event will take place in September - to add to the team. Luckily, I already had great connections, like The Freyas' Head of Industry and Talent Roosa Toivonen, and also got to know some new people. Overall, we now have a core group of 20 people of professionals from entertainment to events, PR, and entrepreneurs,” Uimonen adds.

Roosa Toivonen confirms that presenters and jury members in attendance will include: Actors Alexander Karim (Sweden), Nanna Blondell (Sweden), Ville Virtanen (Finland), Pekka Strang (Finland), Sara Soulié (Finland), Emmi Parviainen (Finland), and Oona Airola (Finland). Directors Zaida Bergroth (Finland), Selma Vilhunen (Finland), Dome Karukoski (Finland), and AJ Annila (Finland). Producers Madeleine Ekman (Sweden), Gudny Hummelvoll (Norway), Sofie Wanting Hassing (Denmark), Andri Ómarsson (Iceland), and Jani Pösö (Finland). Additional jury members and presenters will be announced later.

“The Freyas are highlighting Nordic people and storytelling both in the Nordics and globally. There aren’t, at the moment, any other awards like The Freyas. The Freyas want to stand for the values that are important to the Nordics. Film and TV are definitely a business, but they are also a lifelong passion for many, and we want to celebrate that choice!” Uimonen concludes.

The event’s main partner is The Icebreaking Company, which gave the starting boost for The Freyas. Other collaborators are the Helsinki International Film Festival and its industry event Finnish Film Affair, the cultural and congress venue Finlandia Hall, designed by Alvar Aalto and designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and Strawberry Group. The Freyas are still in the process of adding more partners.