The Young Nordic Producers Club offered an in-depth expertise on co-producing within the Nordic region

“Every year we try to look at what's going on in the market, but also get a grasp of the producers’ situation,” says Noemi Ferrer Schwenk (Film consultancy Yes & Noe), who together with Tina í Dali Wagner (Filmgreb) initiated the Young Nordic Producers Club (YNPC) in 2012. They noticed that in recent years, many younger producers come from companies that have primarily worked with streaming platforms, which has led to a decline in traditional co-production know-how. In response, the focus of the training programme this year was on revisiting the fundamentals of co-producing within the Nordic region. The idea was to help producers build a strong foundation by understanding the financing systems in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The programme delved into key industry terms and structures to equip participants with essential knowledge for navigating complex financing models.

Reflecting on how the programme had evolved and why this edition felt particularly timely, Noemi explained: “This year, the entire programme was really about going back to the basics, and I think it was successful — not just because of the content, but also because we introduced the producers to a lot of new faces at the national Film Institutes.” According to Noemi, the past year had brought a wave of institutional change. “There are new CEOs, and new commissioning editors,” she said. “So it was important to make those introductions.”

But the programme wasn’t only about people and practicalities. “We also wanted to give the participants a broader, mental-level perspective on the bigger trends,” she confirmed. “Because everything is so confusing right now.”

What the team aimed to do, was to offer both a ground-level understanding and a high-level view of the shifting industry landscape. “It’s not just about hands-on knowledge, but also about being able to step back and see what’s really going on — to get what I call a ‘helicopter view’. That way, you don’t feel afraid. You feel like there’s a constructive way of looking at things, and you can move forward.”

As every year, a key part of the programme was the co-production case studies. One standout example came from Marie Kjellson of Kjellson & Wik (Sweden) and Monica Hellström of Ström Pictures (Denmark), who shared their experience financing Live a Little (Leva lite), directed by Fanny Ovesen. “They walked us through how they put the financing together and the challenges they faced,” Noemi said, and then added: “We also had both regional and national funders speaking about their approach to financing — which is always incredibly valuable for producers to hear directly.”

After a packed morning of insightful sessions with Creative Europe on May 18th — featuring experts Julia Gebauerfrom Way Creative Films (Sweden), Renée Mlodyszewski from True Content (Norway), Aleksi Bardi from Helsinki Film (Finland), and Jacob Jarek from Profile (Denmark), along with MEDIA desk advisors Ann-Sophie Birkenes, Ulrika Nisell, Liisa Sauri and Lone Garde — followed by a panel with Icelandic distributor Thor Sigurjonsson of Scanbox, three participants at this year’s YNPC took a moment to reflect on their work, ambitions, and what they’re taking home from the experience.

Viktoria Zereshgi, a junior producer at Miso Film Sweden, comes from a strong series background, with credits on Faithless (Trolösa), The Time Thief (Tidstjuven), and Couples Therapy in Gagnef (Parterapi i Gagnef). “I’m still new to feature co-productions,” she said. “That’s why I came — to learn and connect with producers across the region. The network I’ve built here has been incredibly valuable.” Based in Stockholm, Zereshgi began her career on shows like The Playlist and Young Royals, and joined Miso in 2022. While she is not yet developing a feature, she has ideas in progress and sees co-production as a natural next step.

August Colding, a recent graduate of the Norwegian Film School, now works with True Content in Denmark and Norway. Recently, he produced the short film Catilina, a debut for actor-director Tarjei Sandvik Moe, which was recently supported by the Norwegian Film Institute. “In Norway, you can actually get proper funding for shorts,” Colding said. “It’s a great way to learn before moving into features.” This was his second time at YNPC – last year as a volunteer, this year as a participant. “Understanding the real difference between distributors and sales agents was a breakthrough. It’s something I didn’t learn at school.”

For Stian Skjelstad, founder of the new production company Mindre Film, the YNPC came at a perfect time. His earlier work includes his producer feature debut A Human Position by Anders Emblem, involvement in the successful Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy Sex, Dreams, Love (Sex, Drømmer, Kjærlighet), and children’s titles like the long-running series Captain Sabretooth (Kaptein Sabeltann). “We’re still defining our focus, but I’m leaning toward arthouse animation and fiction,” he said. “Children’s films work well in the Nordics, but not always abroad. Being here helps me find collaborators for more cross-border projects.”

On the challenges of co-productions and financing, all three participants expressed similar sentiments. “The bureaucracy doesn’t get easier,” said Colding, “but if you believe in the project, you push through.” Zereshgi added, “We heard from the producer of Live a Little, who showed us how passion for the film carried her through the complexity. That really resonated.” Skjelstad summed it up: “Producers are people who bring order to chaos. That’s the work – and the reward.”

YNPC is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Danish Film Institute, the Finnish Film Foundation, the Icelandic Film Centre, the Norwegian Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, and Creative Europe’s Nordic Media Desks.