The newly created South Film Fund (Sørfond) co-administered by the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) has received as many as 250 applications from filmmakers from developing countries for its first round of support.

Inspired by the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) in the Netherlands and Fonds Sud Cinéma in France, Sørfond has a 2012 budget of NOK4 million from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Culture. It is earmarked towards the co-financing of feature and documentary films from countries where the infrastructure of film production is weak for political or economic reasons. To access the top-financing from the South Film Fund, producers and directors from developing countries on the OECD Dac-list must have a Norwegian co-producer and spend 70% of their budget outside of Norway, preferably in their own country.

Ivar Kohn, (pictured) Head of Production at the NFI, sees this initiative as a great opportunity for Norwegian producers to connect with different film communities offering strong story-telling and international competence. Kohn was ecstatic over the high quality and number of projects submitted, with budgets ranging from €300,000 to €600,000. Out of the 250 applications, thirteen projects have been selected, including the next films by award-winning Argentinian director Lucia Puenzo (XXY) and the Oscar-nominated Alvaro Brechner from Uruguay. The projects will be pitched to potential Norwegian co-producers during the Pitch Forum at the Films from the South (Film fra Sør) Festival in Oslo from October 13-14.

For further information, check: www.filmfrasor.no/en/sorfond