In its latest round of support, the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) has allocated a total of NOK67.4 million to three Norwegian feature films, three Nordic co-productions and five TV series. The largest single grant of NOK13.7 million went to Nils Gaup’s (pictured) Viking epic Birkebeinerne.
The NOK44 million project Birkebeinerne produced by Paradox will bring to the screen the legendary story of two men, in the year 1206, who skied across the mountains and smuggled to safety the young infant and future King Håkon Håkonsen. Shooting is set to start in February 2014.
Animation specialist Rasmus A. Sivertsen will direct two separate projects that received NOK12.3 million and NOK10.3 million each from the NFI: Solan & Ludvig-From Here to Pinchcliff based on cartoonist Kjell Aukrust Flåklupa universe is produced by Maipo Film and Knutsen og Ludvigsen og den fæle Rasputin inspired by the life of the celebrated Norwegian singing duo is produced by Tordenfilm.
The Swedish project The Brothers Lionheart co-produced by Norway’s 4½ Fiction was granted NOK5 million. The project based on Astrid Lindgren’s classic children’s novel will reunite Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson and writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. Sweden’s Peter Gustafsson is producing for Another Park Film.
The Danish historical project 1864 by Ole Bornedal co-produced in Norway by Cinenord Spillefilm was granted NOK 2 million, and the Swedish film Tourist by Ruben Östlund co-produced by Motlys was awarded NOK 1.9 million. Both projects are currently filming.
The five NRK TV series supported by NFI include Yellow Bird’s crime series Occupied based on an original idea by best-selling novelist Jo Nesbø (see today’s other news); the historical drama The Heavy Water War directed by Per Olav Sørensen for Filmkameratene, the TV drama for children TRIO-Cybergullet (Nordic Stories/Fabelaktiv), as well as the third seasons of animation series Sunshine Kathy (Kool Production), and Elias på nye tokt (Animando).
For further details on the projects, check: www.nfi.no