PRESS RELEASE: Oslo, March 6, 2015 –Nordisk Film & TV Fond is proud to announce today the seven feature projects selected for its new NORDIC GENRE BOOST initiative.
Following the launch of the NORDIC GENRE BOOST initiative last December, Nordisk Film & TV Fond has received a record number of 113 applications. The seven projects selected will receive a development grant of NOK 200.000 each, as well as access to two intensive residential workshops.
The first workshop will be held as part of Night Visions International Film Festival in Helsinki (April 15 - 19, 2015) and the second in Haugesund during New Nordic Films’ Co-Production and Finance Market (August 19 - 20, 2015) where the projects will be pitched to buyers, distributors and funders.
At the Helsinki-workshop, the selected projects will get coaching on script development, financing and sales and festival strategies from a team of skilled professionals and tutors of genre films comprising Brendan McCarthy (producer, Ireland), Gino Ventriglia (script consultant, Italy), Jan Forsström (script consultant, Finland) and Annick Mahnert (sales & festival consultant, France).
Valeria Richter, coordinator of NORDIC GENRE BOOST said: “We were firstly overwhelmed and very happy with the huge interest and secondly, with the high quality of the projects that range from horror to science fiction and dystopian fantasies. Our editorial line was to look for projects that would benefit the most from the two workshops and the development process that we offer. ”
Nordisk Film & TV Fond CEO Petri Kemppinen said: “The response from our NORDIC GENRE BOOST initiative has been amazing and shows that it fulfils a need in the market. The selected genre titles offer an interesting combination of new talents collaborating with established producers and experienced directors. “
The selected projects in alphabetical order are:
- Bloodsuckers
Finland. Horror Comedy. First feature film by Elin Grönblom, produced by Leila Lyytikäinen of Fisher King Production. A new breed of mosquitoes is spreading across Finnish Lapland.
- Bodom
Finland. Horror/Slasher/Survival. Third feature film by Taneli Mustonen, produced by Aleksi Hyvärinen of Don Films. A group of teenagers decide to reconstruct an unsolved murder and every camper´s worst nightmare comes true.
- Border
Denmark/Sweden. Nordic Horror/Supernatural. Second feature film by Ali Abbasi, produced by Nina Bisgaard of Meta Film. Troll mythology meets a dark romantic, horror story - based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In).
- Bright Skies
Norway. Fantasy /Science Fiction. Second feature film by André Øvredal (Troll Hunter), produced by John Einar Hagen of Eldorado Films. UFO-events of an international scale inspire secrecy in a tiny Norwegian valley.
- Teenland
Denmark. Science Fiction. First feature film by Marie Grathø Sørensen, produced by Amalie Lyngbo Hjort and Peter Hyldahl of Beofilm. Sci-fi pop noir about girls with endangering talents, who are locked away in an institution.
- Thale 2
Norway. Fantasy. Third feature film by Aleksander Nordaas, produced by Bendik Heggen Strønstrand of Yesbox Productions. Spellbinders and lurking creatures from Norwegian folklore come alive.
- The Highlands
Iceland. Psychological Horror Thriller by Ragnar Bragason (Metalhead) produced by Skúli Malmquist and Thor Sigurjonsson of Zik Zak Filmworks. Modern saga set in the volcanic hinterlands - based on a novel by Steinar Bragi.
For further information on NORDIC GENRE BOOST, CLICK HERE
Contacts:
Petri Kemppinen petri@nordiskfilmogtvfond.com
Valeria Richter valeria@pebble.dk