19/11/2013 - The new right-wing leadership reduces financing of the Norwegian Film Fund/the Norwegian Film Institute by what could correspond to two to four fewer Norwegian features annually

As of next year, the new Norwegian right-wing government will cut state support for local film production by €4 million. The orginal plan was to reduce the available funds by €6.2 million, but after negotiations with opposition parties, the result was a total of €51.6 million allocation for the Norwegian Film Fund/Norwegian Film Institute.

“The decision is not in line with the government’s declaration that it would take care of Norwegian and international film production in Norway, and strengthen private financing of culture,” secretary general Leif Holst Jensen, of the Norwegian Producers’ Association, told Norway’s Aftenposten.

According to Holst Jensen, film production has been one of the most successful combinations of public and private funding in cultural life. The decrease in public resources could have a major effect on private participation and correspond to between two and four fewer Norwegian features annually.

Currently in production with Norwegian directors Hallvard Bræin’s Børning [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Grethe Bøe’s Operation Arctic and Per Olav Sørensen’s €9.2 million TV series, The Heavy Water War, Norwegian producer Sveinung Golimo (photo), of Filmkameratene, will shortly take over as production and development chief at the Norwegian Film Institute.

Still talking as a private producer, Golimo bemoaned the government’s cut. “During the last seven to eight years, film fund finance has not been perceptibly increased, although it must now also cover television shows and video games. It has been almost silent when it comes to feature film production,” he explained.