29/01/2025 - Swedish writer Pelle Rådström has received the prestigious prize, while the inaugural Creative Courage Award went to the Norwegian series Dates in Real Life

Pelle Rådström with his Nordic Series Script Award for Pressure Point (© Jenny Duan)

At the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, on the first day of its TV Drama Vision industry strand, the Swedish TV series Pressure Point was crowned as the winner of the Nordic Series Script Award. Pelle Rådström, the writer of the show, picked up the trophy, which is presented by the Nordisk Film & TV Fond as part of the Nordic Series Awards to honour excellence in Nordic drama series.

The Nordic Series Script Award, previously known as the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize (see the news) and dedicated to recognising exceptional writing in Nordic drama, was presented during TV Drama Vision. The accolade, coming with a prize sum of NOK 200,000 (€17,000), funded by the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, was given to the main writer of a Nordic drama series.

The jury consisted of Henriette Steenstrup, an actor and screenwriter from Norway; Joanna Szymańska, producer at and CEO of SHIPsBOY, from Poland; and Linus Fremin, a TV critic and creative director at Make Your Mark, from Sweden. The jury statement reads: “In a time when authentic, brave storytelling is a rarity, Pressure Point stands out as a series that resonates with the intelligence of its audience. Instead of simplifying complex human experiences, it delves deeply into themes of freedom of expression, criminal justice and rehabilitation, presenting characters in a profoundly human way. Inspired by a real-life tragedy, it masterfully explores the consequences of good intentions going awry, challenging us to reflect on the fragility of democracy.”

Pressure Point follows renowned playwright Lars Norén and producer Isa Stenberg as they join forces with dangerous inmates, including neo-Nazis, in a maximum-security prison to create a new play. Amid a contentious debate on freedom of speech and government oversight, the prisoners exploit their newfound freedom, leading to bank robberies and the rise of a neo-Nazi organisation. Tragically, their actions result in a double police murder, sparking a nationwide scandal and profound trauma.

Written by Rådström, with a storyline by Wilhelm Behrman and Niklas Rockström, and directed by Sanna Lenken, the series is produced by Martina Stöhr for Art & Bob and is broadcast on SVT. ReInvent International Sales handles its international sales.

Additionally, the inaugural Creative Courage Award was presented to the Norwegian series Dates in Real Life [+see also:
series review
series profile]. Produced by Petter Onstad Løkke and Synnøve Hørsdal from Maipo Film, and commissioned by Marianne Furevold-Boland and Alec Thom from NRK, this award celebrates the producer-commissioner collaboration of a series that boldly pushes creative boundaries and embraces innovation.

The winner of the Creative Courage Award is selected from among several submissions by Nordic streamers and broadcasters, and was chosen by Liselott Forsman, CEO of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, and Cia Edström, head of TV Drama Vision at the Göteborg Film Festival, who stated: “It is funny, ironic and touching. The first-ever Creative Courage Series Award goes to a brave producer-commissioner collaboration that has brought something wonderfully fresh to our Nordic industry. This inspiring series renews the romantic-comedy genre, combines animation with live action and offers an insightful take on dating in a world where virtual life may feel safer than real life. Thank you, NRK and Maipo, for making Jakob Rørvik's Dates in Real Life happen, to the joy of us all.”

Dates in Real Life follows Ida, who spends most of her life online. When her boyfriend Marvin, whom she's never met in person, suddenly announces that he's dating another woman IRL, her world collapses. Ida embarks on a quest to find her own physical partner, while never losing hope of reuniting with Marvin. The series was written and directed by Jakob Rørvik, and the international sales are handled by Dynamic Television.