25/09/2002 - Only 6 Danish films, in 30 years, have managed to give back some or all of the initial funding to the Danish Film Institute

Over the last thirty years, just 6 Danish films took sufficient money at the national box office to be in a position to give back the Danish Film Institute its initial grant. Even the critical and popular acclaim recent Danish films have won has not helped this situation. The titles that made a profit are Italiensk for begyndere (Italian for Beginnners) by Lone Lone Scherfig, the only film that managed to restore 100 per cent of its funding, followed by Kaerlighed ved forste hik (Love at first hesitation), Anja and Victor, Flyvende farmor (Flying grandmother) and En kort en lang (One Short One Long). Not that the Danish Film Institute is complaining, although they do believe that once the producer starts to see a return on his investment, he or she should start paying back the loan. Five years ago the Institute set about recovering between Kr2 million and Kr3 million (between Euros1.49 million and Euros2.22 million) on every Kr90 million (Euros6.6 million)invested. Between 1999 and 2002, the Institute distributed Kr120 million (Euros8.9 million), and only received between 1 percent and 2 percent back.

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