Nordic Animation Association evolves from a volunteer network to a structured association

At the launch of Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s 2025 Animation Theme Year, held during the Cartoon Movie festival in Bordeaux earlier this year, it was announced that NFTVF will provide development funding to the animation network Nordic Animation (CLICK HERE). The aim is now to lay a solid foundation for the organisation to continue operating in a structured way also after 2025.

The pan-Nordic collaboration network unites leading producers from all five Nordic countries. The network’s web page summons professionals to strengthen their border-crossing cooperation and to promote Nordic animation internationally: nordicanimation.com

NFTVF’s support has enabled the network to formalise as an association and hire a part-time project manager for one year to set the organisation in motion. The newly appointed project manager Clara Sætren was born and educated in the US, where she gained a vast experience of event logistics and project management. She moved to Norway in 2020, and since 2021 she has worked half-time as a producer at Fredrikstad Animation Festival, a task that she can now combine with her new job.

NFTVF talked with Sætren just days after her appointment.

“The two positions I hold are going to be interesting this autumn. Nordic Animation Association has a presence at the Fredrikstad Animation Festival, so having a larger Nordic animation focus at the festival is just going to be natural with me in both positions.”

As project manager at Nordic Animation Association, she will facilitate collaboration between the Nordic countries and help build a stronger, more visible identity for Nordic animation.

“The mantra in my work is that I’m a structured collaborator. I find a lot of joy in helping others meet the right people and make new meaningful connections. I'm here to act as a central hub for the organisation to come together in collaboration,” Sætren says.

From its inauguration year 2018 and until now, Nordic Animation was run entirely by volunteers, with Tonje Skar Reiersen from Mikrofilm as the main engine. (CLICK HERE to read recent interview with Reiersen)

Timo Suomi, vice chair of the Nordic Animation Association board, and producer at Finnish Anima Vitae, describes the hiring of a project manager as “the spark that ignites the flame”.

“Having Clara on board gives the longevity that solidifies everything. There’s somebody keeping the lights on when we’re busy prepping for Annecy, or when someone is in production. Because when everybody’s volunteering, it’s very dependent on whether it’s sunny or rainy,” Suomi says.

With its increased capacity, Nordic Animation Association will be able to strengthen professional connections across the region through exclusive events, networking opportunities, and industry insights. Long-term goals include increasing visibility at festivals and in the media, supporting emerging talent, improving sustainability, and expanding funding for animation.

Petter Lindblad, from the Swedish production company Snowcloud Films, acts as the Association’s treasurer. He sees concrete co-production benefits from joining the network.

“We want to strengthen the whole animation field and not just the producers, we want to shine light on other functions that may not get that kind of focus otherwise. This is also a way to facilitate finding good partners for your projects.”

Suomi adds: “We want the Nordic countries, both broadcasters and film funds, to think together from a Nordic point of view. We’ll try to get people together to discuss the benefits, but also the current challenges and how to solve them.”

NFTVF also took the opportunity to ask Sætren, Suomi and Lindblad to reflect on the Nordic animation identity and how it compares to the global giants.

Clara Sætren: Nordic animation shares a strong storytelling tradition. There is a lot of potential for that tradition to be shared wider through co-productions. One major strength is the quality of children's programming. The Nordics shine a spotlight on everyday situations and people, and it's those moments of connection and family that are important in people's lives and resonate with children from anywhere.

Timo Suomi: We never want to go head-to-head at the box office, so you do dance around the giants with your release schedule. But at the same time, studio films have their own high and low seasons, like during the recent strikes. And in those gaps, there's room to release films. The aim is also to develop films that are a bit different from what the big studios offer. Still, the challenge for us as smaller studios is to keep up with the quality. Because the audience doesn’t know the difference in scale or budget between films. For instance, Niko - Beyond the Northern Lights (Niko ja myrskyporojen arvoitus) was made on a fraction of a Hollywood budget, but it’s playing on the next screen in the theatre. The challenge is: How can you offer something compelling enough when choosing Cinema 1 or Cinema 2 when paying the same ticket price?

Petter Lindblad: If you look at it financially, our budgets are maybe one or two per cent of a Hollywood animation film, and we still have to make a film that's about 80 minutes long. But I think in the Nordics we have found a way to make films – we're good at being efficient, planning, and making decisions along the development stage and pre-production. I think we offer something in the stories, the visuals and the tones that is different from the American films.

Membership in the Nordic Animation Association is open to studios and production companies in the Nordic region that produce animated content. For more information on how to join, contact Clara Sætren at clara@nordicanimation.com

The Nordic Animation Association will be present at MIFA during Annecy International Animation Festival at stand D.05, June 11–13.