Three feature films and a documentary have received production support as part of Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s February round of support.

Sonja produced by Cornelia Boysen and Synnøve Hørsdal for Norway’s Maipo Film was granted NOK 2.8 million.
The film directed by Anne Sewitsky is based on a script by Mette M. Bølstad (Nobel) and Andreas Markusson.
The biopic focuses on the life of Sonja Henie, the inventor of modern figure skating who became one of Hollywood’s highest paid film stars in the 1930s. Ine Marie Wilmann (Happy Happy) plays the legendary Norwegian athlete.

The NOK 63.2m film is co-produced by Denmark’s Nordisk Film Production and Ireland’s Subotica, with support among others from the Norwegian Film Institute. Nordisk Film handles distribution and TrustNordisk world sales. Filming from June 19 will be split between Gran Canaria, Romania and Norway.

Becoming Astrid produced by Lars G. Lindström (Nordisk Film Sweden) and Anna Anthony (Avanti Film) was granted NOK 2.5 million.
Pernille Fischer Christensen (A Soap) is directing from a script by the experienced Kim Fupz Aakeson. Lindström said: “Besides his scriptwriting career, Aakeson is also an established children’s book writer. Astrid Lindgren is his idol and he wants to pay tribute to Sweden’s big legend.”

When Astrid Lindgren was very young something happened that affected her profoundly, and this combination of both miracle and calamity came to shape her entire life. It was an event that transformed her into one of the most inspiring women of our age and the storyteller a whole world would come to love. This is the story of when a young Astrid, despite the expectations of her time and religious upbringing, decided to break free from society´s norms and follow her heart.
The SEK 46m (NOK 43.6m) film is co-produced by Germany’s DCM, Film i Väst, Nordisk Film, TV4, in cooperation with DR, support from the Swedish Film Institute, Danish Film Institute, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung. Nordisk Film handles distribution and TrustNordisk world sales.
The cast will be announced closer to start of principal photography, April 4, 2017. Delivery date is set for February 2018.

East of Sweden produced by Liisa Penttilä-Asikainen of Kaiho Republic, Finland was granted NOK 900,000.

Simo Halinen (Nordic Council Film Prize 2013 nominee with Open Up to Me) has written the script of this suspense drama about a chance encounter between three people that has life changing consequences. The story begins with three men who end up sharing a cabin on a northbound night train to Oulu. An unexpected confrontation between them leads to an accidental death and two of them are left with only bad options.
In the main roles are Samuli Vauramo (Thicker than Water, Tears of April), David Nzinga (Måste gitt), Laura Birn (Purge) and Andreas Af Enehielm (Nymphs).

The €1.4m (NOK 13.3m) film is co-produced by Zentropa International Sweden in cooperation with YLE, SVT, support from the Finnish Film Foundation and the Swedish Film Institute. B-Plan handles Finnish distribution and Yellow Affair world sales. The film is currently in production and will be delivered in February 2018.

The Untitled Peter Beard project produced by Tobias Janson of Story AB, Sweden was granted NOK 400,000.
The feature documentary directed by Göran Hugo Olsson (Concerning Violence, The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975) centres on a film project that renowned American artist/photographer Peter Beard initiated together with Lee Radziwill (younger sister to Jackie Kennedy Onassis) about her relatives, the Beales of Grey Gardens. Lost for decades, this extraordinary footage re-emerges in the documentary that focuses on Peter Beard and his family of friends who formed a vibrant creative community in Montauk, US in the 1970s.

The film is co-produced by Louverture Films and Thunderbolt Productions in the US, with Final Cut for Real in Denmark, support from the Swedish Film Institute, Danish Film Institute in co-operation with SVT, DR-K and YLE.
Delivery date is set for May 2017; Cinetic Media handles world sales.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond also allocated distribution grants to the following films and companies:

  • NOK 180,000 to Storytelling Media for the Norwegian distribution of Sami Blood (Sweden)
  • 300,000 to SF Studios for the distribution in Sweden of In the Forest of Huckybucky (Norway) 
  • NOK 150,000 in slate distribution to Sena for the release of The King’s Choice (Norway) and Land of Mine (Denmark) 
  • NOK 180,000 in slate distribution to Heimili kvikmyndanna for the release of Welcome to Norway (Norway) and The Other Side of Hope (Finland)

Film cultural initiatives support include:

  • NOK 110,000 to Nordic Kids Media Festival in Malmö 
  • NOK 40,000 to The National Film School of Denmark for Young Nordic Producers Club in Cannes 
  • NOK 100,000 to the Stockfish Film Festival Industry Days in Reykjavik