The objective? To help Nordic content not just reach the bar, but - as Liselott Forsman puts it - "go above the buzz", in a marketplace defined by intense global competition.

During the Jan 26th closing panel of Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Pre-sessions, Liselott Forsman, CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond, officially announced that the theme year for 2026 will be Branding & Distribution. The initiative aims to address the intense global competition by helping Nordic content travel between Nordic countries and internationaly.

Core Objectives of the Theme Year

The primary goal of the Branding & Distribution theme is to strengthen the Nordic industry's economic position and visibility. Key focus areas include:

  • Market Strength: Conducting comprehensive studies of the Nordic market and distribution to identify factors that can make the region's industry more competitive. In collaboration the Nordic Council of Ministers.
  • Strategic Dialogue: Dialogue based on fresh study findings, with key players within the Nordic industry. Conducting an industry dialogue with Nordic Ministers of Culture on the basis of study findings and industry discussions.
  • Industry Coordination: Bringing together NFTVF’s parties (the Nordic Council of Ministers, all the Nordic film institutes, public and private broadcasters), as well as Nordic producers to find new collaboration models.

Key Initiatives and Programmes

To support the theme, several practical schemes and labs are in development:

  • The Commissioner's Lab: This programme provides a year-long platform for Nordic commissioners to share knowledge, to be inspired by high-level speakers eg. on creative feedback and the financial complexities of international co-productions.
  • Strategic Research: The Fund is initiating various research schemes and studies to analyse current audience behaviours and market dynamics.
  • Network/Solution Expansion: The theme emphasises finding concrete strategic solutions through tailored "think tanks".
  • Funding schemes: Nordisk Film & TV Fond is evaluating schemes that would best support branding Nordic IP.

The Importance of Branding

The announcement highlights that branding is essential for survival in a saturated market. Industry experts noted that unique packaging can differentiate Nordic content.

The theme was chosen in response to a turbulent industry environment where budgets are shrinking and expectations are rising. As domestic broadcasters move toward 100% co-production strategies and streamers hit subscriber saturation, the Nordic industry must find ways to ensure its stories remain financially viable and rooted in free and boundary-pushing creativity.

Previous theme years: Green standards and animation networks

Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s theme years have been held since 2021, and their relevance and progress continue well after they end. The 2023 Nordic Green year led to the Nordic Ecological Standard (NES), which was introduced by the initiative’s project manager Patrik Axén during TV Drama Visiion’s pre-sessions in Gothenburg. The standard is becoming an integrated part of Nordic productions, with the Five Nordics as a strong driving force. During 2026, the Nordic film institutes will implement its use: CLICK HERE.

The animation initiatives supported last year in connection with the the fund’s Animation Collaboration theme year continue to expand. During the 2025 theme year, Nordisk Film & TV Fond engaged in multiple discussions with the animation industry, and supported the producers’ networking through Nordic Animation https://nordicanimation.com/ and festival networking through Northern Animation Network (NAN).

NAN has recently launched its initiative North Animation Artists – a new series of videos with creators within animation. Its first interview, with Icelandic Oscar-nominated Sara Gunnarsdóttir, as well as an interview with Norwegian Animation Director & Designer Kristian Pedersen, has recently been published, with new interviews appearing every other week. To the interviews: CLICK HERE.