The Worst Person in the World producer on his ‘Filmmakers’ talent incubating hotbed

Set up in 2018 by seasoned produced Thomas Robsahm, the talent development scheme ‘Filmskapere’ (‘Filmmakers’) is behind some of Norway’s most internationally acclaimed movies in recent years, such as Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, Kristoffer Borgli’s Sick of Myself, Eskil Vogt’s The Innocents, Maria Sødahl’s Hope, Emil Trier’s documentary Trust Me, and now Aurora Gossé’s Dancing Queen selected at this year’s Berlinale Generation Kplus.

The breeding ground for new Norwegian talents - filmmakers, writers, producers, is backed at 50% by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality’s initiative Talent Norge, with the rest coming from private coin.

The first phase of the programme 2018-2021 received backing from SF Studios and Oslo Pictures - who had a first look on the projects. The second phase 2022-2024 is supported by the Tom Wilhelmsen Foundation, owned by the Norwegian shipping magnate of the titular name.

At ‘Filmmakers’, talents get the opportunity to work purposefully, with great flexibility, and long-term with idea and project development before production kicks in. New and established filmmakers can inspire each other through workshops and the scheme also creates a bridge between fiction and documentary, to stimulate creativity across both formats and hybrid filmmaking.

“Basically, it’s another way to develop projects without systematically going to the Norwegian Film Institute,” claims Robsahm who runs the programme with an annual budget of around €400,000. “Filmmakers’ not only provides the financial support that is too often lacking in the development phase, but it also gives filmmakers more freedom to explore their creativity outside the sometimes, rigid guidelines of the usual funding bodies.”

Robsahm says ‘Filmmakers’’ allows him to support filmmakers without necessarily having to produce them. “For instance a documentary filmmaker who has a producer can submit his project, or a filmmaker and a producer can make a joint application. We come in as an investor in the development phase, and if the project is successful, we can reinvest the money into the system,” Robsahm told nordicfilmandtvnews.com

So far around 30 directors, writers, producers have taken part in the scheme.

Robsahm who is working as in-house producer at Nordisk Film Production Norway since 2022, said the Scandinavian major has a first look on his projects with ‘Filmmakers’.

Among the upcoming ‘Filmmakers’ projects produced by Robsahm for Nordisk Film is the divorce drama Loveable by first time filmmaker Lilja Ingolfsdottir who graduated from the London Film School and FAMU.

The film tells of Maria who juggles with four children and a demanding career while her second husband, Sigmund, travels all the time. One day they get into an ugly argument and Sigmund eventually asks for a divorce.

The film starring Oddgeir Thune, Helga Guren and Marte Magnusdotter Solem is due to start filming later this month, with TrustNordisk handling sales, according to Variety who broke the news.

Another ‘Filmmakers’ project in development to be produced by Tori Gjendal for Nordisk Film Production Norway is Titanic Club by the 2022 Nordic Talents Special Mention co-winners-writer Sunniva Kviteberg and director Håkon Anton Olavsen that we’ve selected as Talents to watch - see separate story CLICK HERE.

Meanwhile ‘Filmmakers’ other project Explosions in the Heart, the anticipated debut of Yenni Lee (Water Bears, Sandra Kolsatd: Run Away) is due for release later this year.

The film produced by Robsahm and Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski for Oslo Pictures is handled by Totem Films for world sales. In the starring roles are Victoria Carmen Sonne (Godland, Holiday), and Silvana Imam (Dogborn). The film studies the turbulent and impossible romantic relationship between two young women where one is polyamorous.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT FILMSKAPERE CLICK HERE.