18/08/2010

The 15th New Nordic Films market and Co-production and Film Financing Forum is kicking off today in the small seaside town of Haugesund, Western Norway. Over the next three days, 23 new Nordic films and 15 Nordic projects will be introduced to over 350 international film executives.

Over the last couple of years, Nordic films have passed their core arthouse audience to reach the mainstream, and today, Nordic stories and filmmakers are being courted by financiers and producers from L.A. to Hamburg, hence the record number of participants at this year’s New Nordic Films showcasing the latest projects from the region. “Over 60 film and TV buyers from 17 countries have registered,” said Programme Director Roger Grosvold “We have new buyers such as Dan Borgonon from Channel Four TV in the UK, Fox Searchlight Europe’s Vice President Christophe Mercier, as well as many buyers from Eastern Europe. “

The 23 films screening at the market range from festival winners Armadillo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Janus Metz, director of Arm…
film profile], A Somewhat Gentle Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hans Petter Moland
film profile], to the world premieres of Kristian Petri’s thriller Bad Faith [+see also:
trailer
film profile] or Petter Næss’s Shameless. During the popular Works in Progress sessions, 15 Nordic producers will introduce the latest projects by the likes of Simon Staho ( Pop!), Dome Karukoski (Lapland Odyssey), Marius Holst (King of Devil’s Island), Stian Kristiansen ( I Travel Along) or Björn Runge (Happy End).

Another 17 film projects in early stages of development will be pitched by their respective Nordic, Canadian, German and Austrian producers during the Co-production and Film Financing Forum. As part of the seminar ‘The jigsaw puzzle of financing in Europe’, Pål Sletaune’s Norwegian thriller Babycall starring Noomi Rapace, will be used as a case study. During another seminar focusing on the Final Cut, Swedish director Peter Schildt (A Thousand Times Stronger) and Danish producer Ronnie Fridthjof (Armadillo) will share their experiences.