Nineteen Nordic films get foreign distribution support

by Annika Pham

01/10/2010 - Oslo-based Nordisk Film & TV Fond has given out 44 grants to international distributors towards the theatrical release of 19 Nordic films outside Scandinavia.

The grants are part of the first official round of support from the Fund’s new High Five International Cinema Distribution Support Scheme. Last year, during its pilot phase, the scheme allocated 32 grants to international distributors. Hanne Palmquist, head of Nordisk Film & TV Fond, said that the substantial increase both in applications and grants shows that “the scheme is now well established in people's minds and that distributors have embraced this new incentive when buying Nordic films”.

Among the 19 recent Nordic titles that received distribution support are Danish films Armadillo [trailer, film focus], A Family [trailer], Brotherhood [trailer, film focus] and In a Better World [trailer], Submarino [trailer, film focus]; Finnish title Bad Family [trailer]; Norwegian films A Somewhat Gentle Man [trailer, film focus], Home for Christmas [trailer, film focus], Magic Silver [trailer] and Twigson [trailer]; and the Swedish films Balls [trailer], Easy Money [trailer], Sebbe [trailer] and Sound of Noise [trailer].

The grants were allocated along the criteria specified in the High Five International Cinema Distribution Support guidelines and according to the distributors' Minimum Guaranties (MGs), the size of the P&A budgets, and marketing strategies.

The maximum single grant of €20,000 was given out to Spain (A Contracorriente Films) and France (MK2) for the upcoming release of Easy Money.

Hans-Petter Moland’s A Somewhat Gentle Man received the largest number of grants for the film’s release in Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Poland, USA, and CIS/Baltics. Zyanya Draijer of Wild Bunch Benelux, which acquired the film, said, "The High Five Initiative reduces the risk in releasing a foreign language arthouse film, and in the crowded film market we are working in nowadays, that support is much needed.”