United film commissions to put Scandinavia on locations map

by Jorn Rossing Jensen

14/02/2012 - Attending the European Film Market at the Berlinale, Scandinavian Locations – a network of 11 film commissions in four countries, operating from the Siberian tundra in the north to the Oresund in the south – will put Scandinavia on the international locations map.

Berlin, Cannes, New York and Los Angeles are the hot spots where the united commissions from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Swedenoffer promote their services to the industry: ”Business for the number of foreign productions in the region is rapidly growing,” said Film Commission Norway Chairman and Film Commissioner Truls Kontny. ”In Norway last year, they contributed to a €19.7 million turnover.”

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With an annual budget of €10-13m, one of the most successful regional film centres in northern Europe is Trollhättan’s Film i Väst (Sweden), which has five co-productions in the official programme at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, including Danish director Nikolaj Arcel’s Golden Bear contender, A Royal Affair [trailer, film focus]. It has shares both in Danish directors Susanne Bier’s Oscar-winning In a Better World [trailer] and Lars von Trier’s Melancholia [trailer, film focus], whick took the European Film Award.

”Since Film i Väst was established in the mid-1990s, it has participated in more than 400 features,” explained Film Commissioner Nina Sekund (pictured), who began in her new job with Film i Väst only a month ago, and already has two projects on the go. ”Our current schedule allows us to make 20 features annually, and the same number for post-production.”

The Danish capital of Copenhagen will shortly join the list of Scandinavian film commissions. Based on an analysis by Oresund Film Commission Producer and Film Commissioner Ulrik Bolt Jørgensen, Copenhagen is expected to announce the initiative next month (March) backed by €5.4m over a three-year period.