A new focal point ‘What’s Cooking’ in the Nordics, a debate with game changers are some of the highlights of the TV Drama Vision (February 1-2).

A record number of international delegates is expected this year, according to Cia Edström, Head of Industry. “The interest for our TV Drama Vision is higher than ever, in particular from non-Scandinavian professionals, and we are proud to welcome more than 200 participants from 20 territories instead of 14 last year,” she said.

Asked about the possible clash with Berlin’s Drama Series Days, held only 10 days later, Edström added: “We actually collaborate with them and their representative Wiebke Esser is coming to Göteborg. Our strength is our reasonable size that makes it more manageable for quality face to face meetings compared to bigger festivals such as Berlin. We focus on projects in development, with clips of upcoming series and case studies, instead of being a TV Drama market. We also collaborate with Series Mania in Paris and the Sarajevo Film Festival’s new TV Drama platform, to bring in content from other territories.”

With the rise of ‘auteur TV’ and the shift from directors-driven to writers-driven TV drama, the launch of the first Nordic Film & TV Fond Prize in Göteborg is another example for Edström, of the TV Drama Vision’s wish to stick to market trends. The scriptwriters of the five nominated Nordic TV dramas Jesper Harrie (Bonus Family, Sweden), Søren Sveistrup (The Day Will Come, Denmark), Kaarina Hazard and Leea Klemola (Love & Order, Finland), Mette. M. Bølstad and Stephen Uhlander (Nobel, Norway), Ragnar Bragason and Margrét Örnólfsdóttir (Prisoners, Iceland) will take part in a panel discussion.

Other highlights include:

  • a panel about ‘The Game Changers’, with speakers Fredrik Ljungberg(Viaplay), Christian Wikander (Pinewood Television),  Hanne Palmquist (HBO Nordic) and Anne Thomopoulos (former HBO Senior VP).   
  • a focus on Belgian TV Drama, with guest speaker Pieter van Huyck (Head of Scripted, De Mensen). 
  • This year’s work in progress is SVT/Viaplay’s historical family drama Our Time is Now. Producer Susann Billberg (Jarowskij), director Harald Hamrell (Real Humans) and co-creator Ulf Kvensler will introduce the series. A case study about the Swedish crime show Gåsmamman Season 1-2 will be presented by actress/producer Alexandra Rapaport, Discovery Networks Sweden’s Jon Petersson and director Richard Holm.

The eight projects in development, part of ‘What’s Cooking’ are: 

  • Nexiko Production’s Swedish dramas Family Affairs (Sinsemilla) co-written by Oskar Söderlund (The Fat and the Angry) and Mikkel Bak Sørense and horror/crime Imprint from actress/creator Moa Gammel (Jordskott) and co-creator Zeke Tastas 
  • Snapper Films’ Finnish show Sherlock North produced and directed by Juha Wuolijoki. 
  • Monster Scripted’s Norwegian series Drift written by Kyrre Holm Johannessen and Young & Promising 3 created by actress/writer Siri Seljeseth 
  • Good Company Films’ Danish political thriller Midnights created by Anna Reeves, Web series Yes No Maybe directed by Mads Rosenkrantz Grage and Norwegian crime Wisting based on crime books by Jørn Lier Horst. 

For more on the Nordic Film Market, see our story: CLICK HERE.