Export value of Norwegian films reached a record NOK 87.3 million (€9million) in 2015, thanks largely to The Wave, says the latest film export report from the NFI. 

The Norwegian Film Institute has been collating film export sales revenues since 2002 and its latest report examines films that premiered between January 1st –December 31st, 2015 due to a two-year process to gather all export revenues from the various windows. 


Among the 23 Norwegian films that premiered in 2015 (including 5 documentaries and 5 children’s films), 18 were sold internationally and 11 of them had a theatrical release. Their combined export value of NOK 87,3 million (€9 million) was 26% higher than the previous year. Presales accounted for 73% of the total export income or NOK 63,6 million (€6,6 million) against 27% or NOK 23,7 million (€2,5 million) for other sales.

The report points to the fact that the market for international sales of Norwegian films is unstable and dependent on the audience potential of a few films, which can influence considerably the export value of Norwegian films each year. For instance in 2015, three films accounted for NOK 63.3 million (€7 million) of the total sales revenues, a notable increase compared to the previous year where the three most valuable films sold for NOK 38.2 million (€4 million).

Roar Uthaug’s catastrophe movie The Wave was by far the biggest international hit during that period and sold almost as many tickets at home (833,390) as abroad (825,329), according to figures from Lumiere database. It opened in more than 20 territories, including France, Poland, Chile and Venezuela where it achieved satisfactory results; the largest foreign attendance (500,000) was registered in Mexico.

The second biggest Norwegian export of 2015 with 233,410 total foreign tickets sold was Joachim Trier’s Cannes 2015 entry Louder than Bombs which played better in countries such as France (45,600 admissions) and Mexico (43,700) than at home (22,560). 
Three local family hits had over 30,000 admissions in the territories were they were sold: the stop-motion animated Louis & Luca-The Big Cheese Race (439,852 admissions in Norway/90,360 abroad), Doctor Proctor-Bubble in the Bathtub (253,269/38,077) and Casper & Emma on Safari (254,327/30,621).

Stine Helgeland, NFI Executive Director, Promotion & International Relations said the export sales record confirms the growing number of films sold and interest in Norwegian films from the international market since 2002, thanks to the quality and variety of the films. “They are so much more than Nordic Noir,” she added.

For full details, check: www.nfi.no