The NFI has been monitoring sales of Norwegian films since 2002 and as financial results from sales transactions are usually delayed by two years, the latest survey carried out by NFI statistics senior advisor Nils Klevjer Aas is based on data from 2010.
The combined value of the 21 Norwegian films exported in 2010 was estimated at NOK53.3 million, up one and a half times from 2009 and six-fold from 2002. This result is 66.6% higher than the goal for 2010 that was stipulated by the Government's 2007 White Paper on film policy. The average foreign sales value per title in 2010 was NOK2.1 million. Pre-sales amounted to 30.7% of all sales revenues, against 69.3% for post-screening sales.
In geographical terms, Europe maintains its leading position (70.6% of sales transactions in 2010), but is gradually losing weight to the benefit of non-European countries whose share in sales transactions increased by 9% between 2008 and 2010.
A closer look at sales in 36 European territories (compiled thanks to data from the NFI, the European Audiovisual Observatory and a Danish 2010 export report) confirms the place of Germany as number one export territory with over 1.4 million admissions from 22 Norwegian titles between 2001-2010, or 35.2% of all admission for Norwegian films in the EU 36 (a share that climbs to 43.1% for all German speaking territories).
If Turkey was surprisingly number two in the list of top admissions in ten European territories during that period (thanks largely to the success of the comedy Buddy that sold 335,000 tickets in 2003), Denmark and Sweden confirmed their strong position with combined Norwegian admissions of 856,531 between 2001-2010 (second best result after Germany) for a market share within EU 36 of 18.4%.
Sweden and Denmark were also the biggest buyers during that period, releasing 28 and 21 Norwegian titles each. If Finland is a keen buyer (fifth biggest importer of Norwegian films between 2001-2110), admissions for Norwegian films remain low as the 16 Norwegian films released during that period attracted less than 100,000 people.
In terms of genre, auteur films are the most popular in Europe as well as ‘dry comedies'. Indeed, Bent Hamer had no less than five films in the Top Ten Norwegian Titles in the EU 36 between 2010-2010 and two of them -Kitchen Stories and Factotum were the biggest exports, selling to 20 and 18 territories each. Erik Poppe had two titles in the Top ten: Troubled Water and Hawaii, Oslo, sold respectively to 11 and 10 territories. Popular comedies include during that period include Elling, Buddy, Nord, The Bothersome Man.
In 2010, among the biggest Norwegian export tiles were The Troll Hunter, Varg Veum-The Writing on the Wall, A Somewhat Gentle Man, and The Liverpool Goalie.
For further information, check the full report (in Norwegian) at http://www.nfi.no/