Dome Karukoski’s much awaited Tom of Finland, the feature debut of Academy-award-nominated Selma Vilhunen, the SVT family saga Löwanders and crime show Before We Die are among the latest projects that received production funding from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Dome Karukoski’s English language debut Tom of Finland produced by Helsinki filmi’s Aleksi Bardy, Miia Haavisto and Annika Sucksdorff was granted NOK 2.3 million. After several years in development, the first authorised biopic of the iconic gay artist Touko Laaksonen known as ‘Tom of Finland’ will start filming in spring 2016. Producer and scriptwriter Aleksi Bardy says details on the pic will be unveiled in February 2016. “We will make a beautiful film about how the impossible can become possible using art”, he says. Finnkino will handle domestic distribution in 2017. 

Little Wing (Tyttö nimeltä Varpu) produced by Kaarle Aho and Kai Nordberg for Finland’s Making Movies was awarded NOK800.000. The drama about a complicated relationship between a mother and her daughter will be directed by Academy-award nominated Vilhunen (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything). In the main roles are Linnea Skog, Paula Vesala, Outi Mäenpää and Antti Luusuaniemi.
The €1.1 million project currently filming in Finland will be released in September 2016 by B-Plan.

The 10x58’ series Restaurant Löwanders (Löwanders) produced by Susann Billberg for Jarowskij Sverige was granted NOK2.6 million. The Swedish epic tale of a family and its restaurant spanning 1945–1960 is co-written by Ulf Kvensler (Solsidan), Malin Nevander (Jerry Maya’s Detective Agency-Stella Nostra) and Johan Rosenlind. Social changes in Sweden viewed through the kitchen world and customers’ side will be directed by Harald Hamrell (Real Humans). SVT is co-producing with Film i Väst and Viaplay. Filming between Västra Götaland and Stockholm will last from May 2016 to August 2017. Restaurant Löwander will premiere on SVT1 in the fall 2017.

The 10x58’ crime series Before We Die (Innan vi dör) produced by Maria Nordenberg and Fredrik Heinig for B-Reel was granted NOK 2.6 million. Director Simon Kaijser, actor Adam Pålsson and Maria Richardson from the SVT hit show Don’t Ever Wipe Tears without Gloves are reunited for this serial drama based on a script by Niklas Rockström and Wilhelm Behrman. The crime show about police investigator Hanna who infiltrates a gang and has to break a family to save her son is set to premeire on SVT in the spring 2017. ZDF handles world sales.

The 24x25’ Danish Christmas calendar series The Other World (Den anden verden) produced by Andreas Hjordal for DR Fiction was granted NOK 1.7 million. The contemporary adventure/fantasy show inspired by the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales focuses on 15 year-old Sara who enters a parallel world of witches and trolls when she is rejected by her co-actor Janus in an amateur theatre. Her twin sister Anna comes to the rescue. The experienced Nikolaj Scherfig (Heartless, The Bridge) and Bo Hr Hansen (Speed Walking, Time Travel) share the writing credits and Lars Kaalund (Rita) is concept director. NRK and Svenska YLE are co-financiers. 

The documentary film Ouaga Girls produced by David Herdies for Sweden’s Momento Film was granted NOK 400.000. Director Theresa Traore Dahlberg has just finished filming in Burkina Faso the story of a group of young girls from the outskirts of Ouagadougou who study to become car mechanics. Delivery is set for the spring 2016.