24/07/2008

For the first time ever, two local films – The Kautokeino Rebellion [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Long Flat Balls II – have been driving admissions up in Norway, and never before have so many local films fared so well during the first six months of the year.

At the end of March Norwegian films had already reached 1,343,693 admissions and by the end of June attendance figures had passed 5.1 million, for a record 26% market share, according to the Norwegian trade association Film & Kino.

“It’s usually the popular US blockbusters that drive up admissions but this spring was different as it was Norwegian films that secured cinema attendance,” said Birgitte Langballe, head of communication at Film & Kino. “This will increase the ‘want to see’ on Norwegian films that will open this autumn. Meanwhile, we look forward to this summer’s big Hollywood films.”

Last weekend, Norway’s top ten was dominated by Hollywood fare such as Mamma Mia (number one with over 228,000 admissions according to Filmweb Rapportserver), Hancock and Kung Fu Panda. The only non-US title on the chart was at number eight – John Carney’s award-winning Irish film Once [+see also:
trailer
film profile], released by Arthaus.

Three Norwegian films are in the top ten of 2008 as of July 20: Nils Gaup’s epic The Kautokeino Rebellion, number one with 333,619 admissions; Harald Zwart’s comedy Long Flat Balls II, number three with over 292,000 admissions; and Stian Kristiansen’s debut film The Man Who Loved Yngve [+see also:
trailer
film profile], number 10 with 172,311 admissions.

The next Norwegian film to open, on August 29, is The Last Joint Venture by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen (Izzat), produced by Maipo Film & TV.

The positive admission figures during the first half of 2008 are comforting for the local film industry and the Norwegian government, which as part of its new film policy had set a target 25% market share for local films by 2010.