Nordic Film Market readies for record attendance in Göteborg

More than 100 buyers, 40 sales agents and 60 festival programmers from around the world, can eagerly look forward to the three-day Nordic Film Market (February 2-5), unspooling parallel to Scandinavia’s largest film event - the Göteborg Film Festival.

Josef Kullengård who served for many years as former head of industry Cia Edström’s closest collaborator, will be steering the industry platform for the first time, while Edström will fully focus on the TV Drama Vision conference.

“It feels amazing to welcome a record number of delegates on-site in Göteborg, and I’m thrilled to start off with such an amazing line up of projects. We really feel the interest from the global industry and I can’t wait for Nordic Film Market to start,” Kullengård told nordicfilmandtvnews.com.

To continue to attract professionals from around the world, and accommodate those unable to attend, the Nordic Film Market will be open for online and on-site accreditation, with the digital version offering a selection of market screenings, on top of the works in progress and Discovery pitches. “Production-wise, it has required a lot of hard work, but a lot of markets are now hybrid. This is the future,” Kullengård said.

For the first time, a bigger emphasis has been put on emerging talent and projects in development with the 10-title Talent to Watch strand (see our story: CLICK HERE) backed by the Swedish Film Institute, added to the usual Discovery programme. “One of the key goals of Nordic Film market is to help newcomers breakthrough onto the international stage, so again this year, we are proud to fulfil this role,” Kullengård said.

No less than eight female directors will be pitching their features in the Discovery programme, such as Isabella Carbonell (Dogborn) with Utopia, Tea Lindeburg (As in Heaven) with The Seal Woman, 2023 Cannes short film competitor Julia Thelin with The Patron, and Liv Joelle Barbosa, turning to feature film with Almeíra, after her break-through youth series Nudes.

The 2019 Nordic Talent winner Patricia Bbaale Bandak (Villa Villekulla) is bringing Wannabe, and actor/director Fanni Metelius (The Heart), recipient of a Nordic Talents Special Mention 2014, will be presenting 2001.

The sought-after Works in Progress session has a strong line-up of 15 titles, of which 10 received support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond:

• Eternal by Denmark’s Ulaa Salim (Sons of Denmark), a sci-fi love story set against the urgent topic of climate change. Hyæne Film is producing and New Europe Film Sales handles sales.
• Nightwatch-Demons are Forever by Ole Bornedal, sequel to the Danish director’s 1994 cult movie Nightwatch, produced by Nordisk Film Production, with TrustNordisk handling sales.

• Stormskerry Maja by Finnish director Tiina Lymi (Happier Times Grump), a period piece about female empowerment and resilience, based on a book series by Anni Blomqvist. Finnish powerhouse Solar Films is producing.
• Solitude by Iceland’s first-timer Ninna Pálmadóttir, about an aged farmer’s unlikely friendship with a paper delivery boy. Party Film Sales is handling sales for Pegasus.
• Cold by Iceland’s Erlingur Thoroddsen adapted from a novel by crime novelist Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. LevelK is handling sales on behalf of Compass Films.
• A Happy Day by Hisham Zaman (Letter to the King), following three refugees longing for love, friendship and dignity, produced by Snowfall Cinema.
• Quisling by the multi-awarded Erik Poppe (U-July 22), capturing the final hours in prison of the infamous WW2 Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, produced by Paradox, with REinvent handling sales.

• Sex Dreams Love, film trilogy by Dag Johan Haugerud (Beware of Children), produced by Motlys in association with Viaplay.
• Sisters by rising talent Mika Gustafson, produced by auteur-savvy HOBAB.
• Stockholm Bloodbath, star-studded feature by Oscar-nominated Mikael Håfström produced and distributed globally by Viaplay.

Other works in progress include:

• the thriller Hunters on a White Field by Swedish newcomer Sarah Gyllenstierna, produced by Most Alice Films,
• Children of the Lowest Heaven by seasoned director Birgitte Stærmose, extension of her acclaimed 2009 short Out of Love, produced by Magic Hour Films,
• Comeback by Petri Kotwica (Black Ice) produced by Finland’s Helsinki filmi,
• B.O.Y. by Denmark’s Søren Green (The Hidden Children), produced by Asta Film,
• Glaspest (English title TBA) by first-timer Elina Sahlin, about youth drug abuse in a rural community, produced by Makeriet.
  

As always, the market screenings with the most exciting new Nordic films include several titles competing for a Dragon Award-Best Nordic Film in Göteborg: Abbe Hassan’s opening film Exodus, Birgitte Stærmose’s closing film Camino, Frederikke Aspöck’s Empire, Martin Skovbjerg’s Copenhagen Doesn’t Exist, Selma Vilhunen’s Four Little Adults, Ole Giæver’s Ellos Eatnu-Let the River Flow, and Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken’s Munch, set to open Rotterdam.

The programme for the TV Drama Vision will be unveiled next week.

For further details on Nordic Film Market, check: https://goteborgfilmfestival.se/en/nordic-film-market/