18/10/2006

In its continued effort to support the current wave of success of the local film industry, the Norwegian Ministry of Culture has announced it will allocate an extra NOK 29m (€3.4m) for film production in 2007.

The aim is to increase the local production input to 20 films per year (from 18 in 2005) and to increase the local films’ market share from last year’s 14% to 25%. The total budget for the film and audiovisual industries will therefore increase from NOK 494m for 2006 to NOK 529M in 2007.

“This represents an increase of 7%,” said Minister of Culture Trond Giske. “The film sector was awarded NOK 31m last year and will be given NOK 29M this year. Altogether, this is NOK 60m for two years. This is one of the highest budget increases of the whole Cultural department”, he stressed.

At the last Cannes Film Festival, where Norway had a historical presence with no less than four films in official selection, Giske had already expressed his government’s strong commitment to the local film industry. “Our plan for the future is to continue to strengthen our film industry by looking at introducing tax incentives and developing our support mechanisms so that we’re as good as our neighbouring countries Denmark and Sweden”, he added.

For 2007, the government has also suggested that funding for the Norwegian Film Fund should increase by NOK 24.1m to NOK 264.2m (€31.1m). Furthermore, as part of its remit to strengthen the regional film industry, an extra NOK 5M will go towards film activities in the regions, including NOK 1.5m to Filmcamp Målselv, where Asif Kapadia is currently filming True North with Michelle Yeoh and Sean Bean.