The Nordisk Film & TV Fond has publicly announced the recipients of its February slate of funding. This month, the organisation has invested a total of 9.4 million Norwegian crowns (circa €972,000) in production funding intended for two high-end TV series, one documentary feature, one documentary series and one animated feature.

Mikala Krogh's six-episode series Scandinavian Star won the biggest grant ever in the documentary genre, as it has received support of 2 million Norwegian crowns (€206,000). The series, expected to premiere in April 2020 and co-produced by Danish Documentary and Nordisk Film Production, will shed light on the largest unsolved murder investigation in Scandinavia. On 7 April 1990, more than 150 people died on the Scandinavian Star ferry, which sailed between Oslo and Frederikshavn, after it fell victim to an arson attack.

The second documentary project in receipt of support is a feature-length film directed by Louise Detlefsen and Louise Unmack Kjeldsen, entitled Fat Front [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (500,000 Norwegian crowns, €52,000). The picture is being produced by Norway’s Medieoperatørene and Sweden’s Auto Images, and revolves around the personal liberation and political commitment of young, overweight, female body activists, who have lived their lives wallowing in self-hatred and shame because of their bodies. This tale of empowerment is expected to premiere in October 2019.

The animated feature The Ape Star (1.9 million Norwegian crowns, €196,000) has also been granted support. The project, helmed by Linda Hambäck and produced by Sweden’s Lee Film, is based on a book by Frida Nilsson, which focuses on the blossoming relationship between a mother and daughter, with the city authorities as the “villains”. Hambäck’s feature is expected to be released in late 2020.

Moreover, the two high-end TV series that will benefit from the film body’s production grants are Jens Sjögren and Rojda Sekersöz’s Swiping (2 million Norwegian crowns, €206,000), produced by Swedish firm B Reel Film, and Tobias Lindholm’s The Investigation (3 million Norwegian crowns, €310,000), staged by Danish outfit Miso Film. The first project is an eight-episode comedy-drama that centres on Ella, a mother who has to look after her three children every other week. She runs a catering company and must therefore juggle work and family. Meanwhile, in the second TV series, viewers will follow homicide investigator Jens Møller and his team as they work on a case known in the press as “The Submarine Murder”, over a period of eight months.

Finally, six Nordic firms have received distribution grants – namely, Finland’s Atlantic Film (300,000 Norwegian crowns, €31,000) for the release of three features, including Jon Holmberg’s Sune vs Sune [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]; Norway’s Norsk Filmdistribusjon (200,000 Norwegian crowns, €21,000) for Poul Berg’s Hacker; Sweden’s Nordisk Film Distribution for Gustav Möller’s The Guilty [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Gustav Möller
scheda film] (130,000 Norwegian crowns, €13,000); Norway’s Another World Entertainment for Katja Gauriloff’s Baby Jane [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Benedikt Erlingsson
intervista: Benedikt Erlingsson
scheda film].