29/08/2023 - The Norwegian film professional looks back at a strong edition of the industry event and says yes to optimism, nationally as well as internationally

(© Ingar Johansen)

Looking back at a particularly strong edition of the New Nordic Films days, which took place as an integral part of the 51st Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, programme director Gyda Velvin Myklebust offers some fascinating insights and says yes to optimism, nationally as well as internationally.

Cineuropa: No 50^th anniversary this year, no pandemic and no extreme weather, as was initially feared – “just” your ordinary, business-as-usual New Nordic Films. Is that a valid assessment of this year’s events?
Gyda Velvin Myklebust: You know, half of Norway has had truly severe downpours for weeks, but the only flood we’ve seen here in Haugesund has been the deluge of very good projects! By now, after 17 years of New Nordic Films co-production markets, I can say that I think this was the strongest year ever, as far as projects go. I’m not alone in thinking that: among producers, distributors and sales agents, this sentiment was warmly shared.

Can you share any highlights? Or any trends or tendencies you have spotted?
For the first time, we had a UK focus, supported by the BFI, the embassies, the British Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There were four good projects and 20 participants, plus a presentation by Denitsa Yordanova, the head of the UK Global Screen Fund. We also had a case study on Thordur Palsson’s The Damned by producer Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl [see the news]. I would also like to highlight André Vargas’s excellent presentation “Nordic Film and TV Goes Global: CAA's Expert Study Reveals Opportunities for US and Nordic Industry Players” – it was a really exciting talk, full of healthy insights.

Overall, we’ve enjoyed great variety at the co-production market; the animated Norwegian Mikrofilm project Pesta worked up a great buzz, as did the Danish Tambo production Bestiere by Jonas Kjærup Hjorth and our Best Project Award winner this year, Amanda Kernell’s new project The Curse – A Love Story [see the news]. As for the work-in-progress section, Handling the Undead by Thea Hvistendahl, Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy Sex Dreams Love and Better Times by Milad Avaz got plenty of attention, in particular.

I am realising more and more how well Haugesund works when it comes to finding acquisitions for sale, and there are so many films here that we are now seeing at the start of their journeys: [they progress] via a co-producer and/or a sales agent that they met here in Haugesund. Soon, they will be ready for the big festivals, recent examples being Je’vida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Katja Gauriloff, which played at Tribeca this year and is about to go to Toronto, and Isabella Eklöf’s Kalak [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Asta Kamma August
interview: Isabella Eklöf
film profile], playing San Sebastián next month.

The Norwegian production company Motlys, this year represented in your main programme by Listen Up!, in the projects presentation by Stargate and in the work-in-progress section by Sex Dreams Love, also received the Golden Clapper, the special industry Amanda at the Norwegian national film awards last week [see the news]. Motlys is one of a few companies that has made a name for itself, nationally as well as internationally, not least through the films of Joachim Trier. In your opinion, what enables Norwegian companies to achieve such things? Are you optimistic about the future?
Motlys is certainly a prime example of a production company that, through the years – around 40 by now – has finely calibrated itself in order to have its finger on the pulse, and it has a roster of very good producers and creators. There are many good people in the Norwegian film environment. And I say yes to optimism. It’s what keeps the world spinning round, not least in times like these.

Any thoughts on, or hopes for, your 2024 edition?
[I want it to be] stronger, better, a level up every year, always with good projects in the co-production market as well as in the work-in-progress market. The dates are already set, and it will definitely pay off to be in Haugesund from 20-23 August 2024!