Announced on 17 March during this year's CPH:DOX, a joint call has been launched by public broadcasters SVT, NRK, DR, Yle and RÚV in collaboration with the Danish Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, Norwegian Film Institute, Icelandic Film Centre and Finnish Film Foundation. The brand-new scheme seeks to encourage earlier collaboration between broadcasters and film institutes in the development phase, with the goal of backing documentary stories capable of resonating across Nordic borders.

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Teréz Hollo-Klausen, Head of Production at the Norwegian Film Institute, highlighted the thinking behind the initiative, noting that while Nordic documentaries continue to enjoy strong international recognition, competition for audience attention is becoming increasingly intense. She explained that bringing broadcasters and film institutes together earlier in development should help elevate stories with broad Nordic relevance and contribute to documentaries that not only reach audiences, but also spark debate and set the agenda across national borders.

The call is aimed at projects rooted in contemporary issues and built around accessible storytelling and compelling characters. Organisers are looking for narratives that can capture audiences through investigative angles, revelations, mysteries or justice-driven storylines. High production values and unique access to people or environments are considered key elements, and pan-Nordic collaboration involving talent or perspectives from several countries is strongly encouraged.

Producers and directors from across the Nordic region may submit projects ranging from early concepts to advanced development, provided they have not yet entered production. Applications must include a pitch deck outlining the narrative arc and the current relevance of the subject, a description of any unique access or investigative approach, clear development goals together with a team biography, and a collaboration plan detailing Nordic partners, budgets and funding sources. The submission deadline is 1 June 2026, after which national film institutes and local broadcasters will review the applications, with each country nominating up to three projects for further consideration.

Selected teams will be invited to present their projects at a closed pitching event in Malmö in September, taking place just ahead of the Nordisk Panorama industry forum. During the 20 to 30 minute sessions, filmmakers will have the opportunity to present directly to key Nordic decision-makers and seek Letters of Intent or expressions of interest from broadcasters and partners in other countries.

The aim is to accelerate the path towards production by enabling selected projects to secure early development commitments from their national partners, while encouraging faster co-production decisions and pre-buys across the region. According to Nordisk Film & TV Fond head Liselott Forsman, the initiative builds on discussions held during the fund’s annual partner summits and documentary think tanks, which have focused on identifying concrete ways for the region’s public players to collaborate more closely. She noted that the strategic meeting hosted by DR at Nordisk Panorama in 2025 helped move these conversations forward, adding that it was encouraging to see public partners joining forces at a time of economic pressure in order to strengthen the Nordic documentary sector.