Norwegian island Frøya and Midgard Film Commission win new award in Berlin for Europe’s best film location

European Film Commission Network (EUFCN) is delivering the prestigious Location Award, selected by the Location Award Jury, for the first time, in addition to the Audience Award. Five internationally recognised jury members evaluated the nominated locations based on the following criteria: how the location influenced the film production, the location's strategy for accommodating film crews, and overall film-friendliness.

The EUFCN Location Jury Award 2024 was handed over to the winner Monday evening in Berlin. The award celebrates Frøya as the filming location for the series Billionaire Island (Milliardærøya), which is created by Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, and commissioned by Netflix. The production spent five weeks filming on the small island, with only 5400 inhabitants, from August to September 2023.

Frøya, the first Norwegian location to receive the honour, was recognised for its spectacular nature in the drama series and for its efforts to attract film productions in general. Since 2019, the island municipality and Midgard Film Commission have worked purposefully and systematically to establish Frøya as a film-friendly location.

"We are incredibly proud to receive this award! It’s absolutely amazing that Frøya has been named the most attractive film location in Europe. The competition was tough, and the criteria were strict. Winning this award is truly moving," says Solveig Sigmond Ræstad, film commissioner at the Midgard Film Commission, who works to attract external film and television productions to Trøndelag.

UK-based jury member Caroline Greville-Morris motivated the jury’s decision: “Frøya stood out as a character in itself in the production. It wasn’t pretending to be anywhere else, and its rugged beauty, combined with the determination of its inhabitants, cast a spell on me,"

The other nominees included Mdina in Malta for the film Napoleon, Schönbrunn Palace in Austria for the drama series The Regime, Staatsoper Stuttgart in Germany for the film Cranko, and Tajogaite Volcano in Spain for the film La Hojarasca.

Accompanying Solveig Sigmond Ræstad to the awards ceremony in Berlin were Frøya’s mayor, Kristin Furunes Strømskag, Frøya’s film coordinator, Mona Elisabeth Skarsvåg, and Billionaire Island producer Gudny Hummelvoll.

"The jury’s award is a victory for everyone on Frøya who has worked hard to make our island an attractive place for film production. This highlights the importance of establishing an improved film incentive scheme," says Strømskag.

At Trøndelag Tourism, tourism director Petra Sestak also expressed her excitement.

"It is a great honour that Frøya is the first Norwegian location to win this award. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of all the talented people on Frøya who have been involved. It also highlights how systematic and collaborative efforts to become a film-friendly location can lead to success. There is significant potential in film tourism, and Trøndelag will continue to invest in this field."

Winner of the Audience Award is Schönbrunn Palace in Austria (Vienna Film Commission), chosen by the public through online voting.