30/04/2009

To improve the promotion of the Nordic region to foreign producers, nine Nordic film commissions have joined forces and created Scandinavian Locations.

“Scandinavian Locations is a kind of little sister to Scandinavian Films”, explained Truls Kontny, head of the Norwegian Film Commission, who first had the idea of this joint initiative. “We offer foreign producers a free scouting service and an overview of filming locations in the Nordic region, plus a guide to regional film funds”.

Other bodies that are part of Scandinavia Locations include the Öresund Film Commission, the Finnish Lapland Film Commission and North Finland Film Commission, the Film in Iceland Film Commission, Western Norway Film Commission and Mid Nordic Film Commission in Norway, the Stockholm Film Commission and the Swedish Lapland Film Commission.

So far, Iceland is the only Nordic country with a 20% production tax rebate for producers shooting in Iceland, but Norway could follow very soon. “We’re lobbying the government so that it will introduce a 15% production tax incentive. We’re confident this will happen by the end of 2009, early 2010”, said Kontny.

Scandinavian Locations will hold an inauguration party at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18.