More than 250 international guests, including 53 buyers from 18 countries, have registered to attend the three-day industry event at the Norwegian international film festival New Nordic Films in Haugesund, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary.D Anniversary and premiere with Charlotte Selling's drama “The Way Home”.
Some of the region’s most influential filmmakers – including Eric Poppe, Dag Johan Haugerud, Selma Vilhonen, Zaida Bergroth and Runar Runarsson – will showcase or present their upcoming projects, alongside dozens of emerging talents.
“Our DNA hasn’t changed,” said Line Halvorsen, who joined New Nordic Films four years ago and serves as acting director, temporarily replacing Jed Velvin Michaelpost.
“Our core is to bring together filmmakers and industry professionals interested in Scandinavian film, to serve as a platform to launch new talent and highlight the latest industry trends. Together with our double event at the Gothenburg Scandinavian Film Market, we are here to support our Scandinavian industry, and the more interest there is in Scandinavian film, the better for everyone, especially in this challenging market,” Halvorsen emphasized.
With buyers and financiers moving early to snap up top talent and projects, New Nordic Films’ Nordic Co-Production Market, one of its three pillars with works-in-progress and market screenings, has flourished over its 19 years of existence and is now the “most popular” showcase, according to New Nordic Films’ president.
Attractive projects under development
For the second year in a row, more than 80 projects applied for the competition, 22 of which qualified. “We could easily have organized two co-production markets, given the quality of the projects submitted,” said Halvorsen.
Among the films to come from veteran filmmakers are Selma Vilhonen’s “You Showed No Regrets” (“Stupid Young Heart,” “Four Little Adults”), Zaida Bergroth’s “The Wednesday Club” (“Tov”), and “Love Duet,” a biopic of Susan Austin and Jan Widmark in which legendary feminist Austin skewered famed director Ingmar Bergman.
Several projects by first-timers or sophomores supported by prominent institutions in Northern Europe will also be screened, such as “Two People in Love” by Daniel Sauca (HBO’s “Icebox”), Halvorsen’s Personal Heartbeat, “Also a Life” by Anders Emblem (Human Position), “Benedikte & Theo” (provisional title) by Tribeca student-nominated director Aslak Danbolt, and “Halima” by Naima Mohamed (Fatima).
As part of the second UK focus of New Nordic Films, four UK projects seeking Nordic partners will be submitted by the respective filmmakers and/or producers: “The Fell” by Za Quirke, “Unspeakable” by Corinna Faith, “Let it Come Down” by Anna Fredrikke Bjerke, and “Nothing Holy” by Ashley Horner.
Three Men and a Film
Copyright: Jarl Nettingnes
Work in progress
Of the 15 works in progress, Halvorsen highlights the rapid production of three titles that were released last year on the Nordic co-production market: the Swedish horror film “The Home” by Mattias J. Skoglund, sold by LevelK; the Norwegian family film “Stargate” by Ida Sagmo Tvedte, sold by REinvent; and the drama “Zarsis-Waves of Silence” by the new Norwegian-Iranian director Farzad Samsami.
Other hot projects in post-production include Motor Productions’ Danish Stone Age thriller “Stranger,” directed by Mads Hedegaard, which was sold to REinvent; Zentropa’s “Home Sweet Home,” directed by Freiley Petersen, the third instalment of his trilogy about the Danish countryside after “Uncle” and “Forever”; and Maipo’s ambitious 2D family animation “The Polar Bear Prince,” which was sold to TrustNordisk.
As always, to make the New Nordic Films Expo a worthwhile trip for sales agents in the busy fall season, most of the projects in the Copro Market and works in progress are available for global distribution.
Looking at the trends, Halvorsen sees a clear line between family films and coming-of-age films, away from last year's heavy output of horror and sci-fi.
In terms of gender division behind the camera, 12 of the 22 co-production titles are directed by women, compared to just three in the works in progress. “We did the best we could with what was available, but many of the works in progress are directed by women,” insists Halvorsen.
New entrants are also strongly involved (nine in the joint venture market), and among the Nordic countries Norway dominates, with six projects in development and another six in post-development.
Although she is very happy with her 2024 programme, Halvorsen said that 30 attractive Nordic projects that she and her team were actively pursuing were not available due to her production schedule. “Many great films were shot this summer, so we can guarantee that after 2024, 2025 will be another strong year for Nordic cinema,” she added.
For those who missed some of the year’s biggest shows, the Haugesund Market screenings will be the place to catch up. Among the 18 completed films screened are Sundance’s “Sebastian,” sold by Level K, Venice’s “Love,” sold by M Appel (Closed Market Screening), and Cannes’ “Armand,” “The Girl with the Needle,” and “When the Light Breaks,” sold by Charades, The Match Factory, and The Party Film Sales, respectively.
For those looking for talent coming straight out of film school, Next Generation North will offer a curated programme of 10 graduation films, presented by the filmmakers.
In terms of seminars, two sessions will be dedicated to this year’s main theme, “The Future is Now.” Microsoft’s Christopher Freining, along with filmmaker Jan-Christian Fruggaard and production designer Christine Wilhelm, will discuss “AI as a Filmmaking Tool.” “We want people to feel involved, not afraid of AI,” said Halvorsen.
Arndt Christian Scheele, Commercial Director of leading animation studio Qvisten, will explore VR technology and its origins for storytellers and producers.
Elsewhere, Europa Distribution, a regular collaborator with New Nordic Films, will invite participants to a case study on Aki Kaurismäki’s award-winning film “Fallen Leaves”.
Kidnapping
Copyright: Mimmo Hilden
All film screenings and events will be held at the renovated EDDA Cinema Centre and its seven screening halls.
Nordic co-production market formation
“A Week in Paradise” (Katja Winter, “Give Me a Break”, Sweden)
“Life Too” (Anders Emblem, Steyr Film, Norway)
Benedicte and Theo (Danbolt Wires, Paradox, Norway)
“Blind Sight” (Ruslan Batotskvi, Brave Productions, Ukraine)
“Burn Oslo Burn” (Gustav Johansson, New Land/Velmans, Sweden)
“The Fell” (Zoo Quirk, Escape Plan, UK)
“Five Days at Sea” (Ivana Skrabalo, House of Dana na Moru, Croatia/Macedonia/Serbia)
“Forza Oslo” (Mats Birkenes, Storm Films, Norway)
“Halima” (Naima Mahmoud, It's Alive Films, Finland)
“Himalayan My Heart” (Sunil Munshi, Y Creative, Sweden)
“Let it Come Down” (Anna Frederike Berke, Backscatter Productions, UK)
“Love Duet” (Susan Austin, Jan Widmark, Vilda Bomben, Sweden)
“Máttáháráká” (Sophie West, Tekeli/Nordisk Film, Finland)
Nothing Sacred (Ashley Horner, Pinball Films, UK)
“The Planet” (Fredrik S. Hanna, Schesville, Norway)
Polaris (Christian Andersen, Hanna Rosland Productions, Denmark)
“Roach Coach” (Ilze Jacobsen, Bifrost, Norway/Latvia)
“Sana” (Liv Karin Dahlstrom, Nordisk Film, Norway)
“She showed no remorse” (Selma Vilhonen, Dionysus Films, Finland)
“Two People in Love” (Daniel Sauca, Anagram Sweden)
Wednesday Club (Zaida Bergroth, Lucy Loves Drama, Finland)
“Indescribable” (Corina Faith, The Borough, UK)
List of works in progress
Confessions of a Swedish Man (Hampus Linder, Nordic Factory Film, Sweden)
“Crossing the Lines” (Jafar Moataz, produced by Meysam Ovaz, Denmark)
– “The Challenge” (Visa Koiso-Kantila, Rabbit Films, Finland)
“Song of the Earth” (Erol Mintas, Sonne E. Lumiere, Finland)
Everything must go (Arild Østein Omundsen, Schessville, Norway)
“Home Sweet Home” (Freile Petersen, Zentropa, Denmark)
“Raptures” (John Blahhead, Iris Film, Sweden/Finland)
“Stargate” (Ida Sagmo Tvedte, Motleys, Norway)
“Stranger” (Mas Hedegaard, Motor, Denmark)
“Crazy Summer” (Ola Heikkila, Tekeli Productions, Finland)
“Badger” (Paul Magnus Lundo, 73 Eyes Film, Norway)
“Home” (Mattias J. Skoglund, Film (So), Sweden)
“Polar Bear Prince” (Mikkel B. Sandemose, Maibo, Norway)
Three Men and a Velma (Charlotte Blom, Maibo, Norway)
“Gergis, Waves of Silence” (Farzad Samsami, Gorilla Film, Norway)
Market Offers Collection
Armand, Norway (Charades)
“Birthday Girl”, Denmark (TrustNordisk)
“Butterflies”, Finland (Picture Tree International)
“Explosions in My Heart”, Norway (sales to be announced later)
“Flocks”, Finland (Amo Film Company)
“Kevlar Soul”, Sweden (sales to be announced later)
“The Long Good Thursday”, Finland (sales to be announced later)
“Loveable”, Norway (TrustNordisk)
“Love”, Norway (M-Appeal)
“Girl with the Needle”, Denmark/Poland/Sweden (Match Factory)
“The Mountain”, Iceland, Sweden (Greenlightening Studio)
“My Father's Daughter”, Norway/Sweden/Finland (Pluto Film)
Quisling, Norway (Reinvent International Sales)
Sebastian, UK/Belgium/Finland (LevelK)
“Silent Trilogy”, Finland (Totem Films)
“Trans Memoria”, Sweden/France (Outplay Films)
“The Way Back”, Denmark (LevelK)
“When the Light Breaks” (Concert Film Sales)
