Hamilton-In the Interest of the Nation kick started the new Season with panache, opening at number one last weekend. Released by Walt Disney, the Michael Persbrandt (pictured) vehicle was seen by over 110,000 people - proving the lasting pulling power of action thrillers based on books.
Two films in the same vein will open in March: Yellow Bird's Nobel's Last Will, the first of six films based on Liza Marklund's bestsellers, and Fladen Film's An Enemy to Die For. Among the films that caught international festival interest ahead of their domestic release are three directorial debuts: Axel Petersen's Avalon (Best Debut in Toronto), Martin Högdahl's children's film Ice Dragon (selected in Göteborg and Berlin), and Levan Akin's Certain People (Katinka Kalas) which competed for a Dragon Horse in Stockholm.
An attractive slate of four documentaries will also reach Swedish audiences, three of them directly via their production houses. Story AB will handle the release of Love During War Time, WG Film Big Boys Gone Bananas, after its Sundance competition slot, and Atmo will handle Alla Vilda-en film on Birgitta Stenberg.
In neighbouring Norway, the local film offering will go back to ‘normal' with ten feature films, (including a documentary) set to open, half the volume of 2010's spring catalogue. Among the most anticipated films are the new Tore Renberg book adaptation of Jarle Knepp's life adventures Company Orheim, two Varg Veum crime movies based on Gunnar Staalesen's novels, Fuck Up from the creators of the popular TV series Dag and Petter Næss's Into the White (pre-sold to over 20 territories).
As many as nine out of ten films were made without support from the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI). For Nina Refseth, NFI CEO, the fact is coincidental and linked to the current financial climate as several films that received NFI production supported in 2011 failed to close their financing and had to postpone their release date. "However, we expect things to turn back to normal, with a strong autumn list, and a very promising 2013," said Refseth.
Four of the 14 Swedish upcoming spring releases were also made without SFI advance production support. Charlotta Denward, SFI Head of production, says this proves that ‘it is actually possible to finance films outside the traditional film commissioning system, and that the SFI audience-related support also works as an engine for films made with alternative financing sources."