M:brane’s Brejner and Ström have re-boosted the Financing Forum for Kids Content and set priorities thanks to a report from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

In a move to reinforce Malmö’s Financing Forum for Kids Content and make it relevant to tomorrow’s young generation, founder Annette Brejner and her partner Lennart Ström have rebranded their platform under the name M:brane and switched responsibilities.

Starting this month, Ström who used to run Malmö’s BUFF kids festival and worked as a producer, is the new director, while former director Brejner is now senior creative advisor. 

Brejner said the new M:brane name was chosen to reflect today’s ‘mind-blowing brainy generation’ and urgent need to think anew, in the context of the fast-evolving content industry and changes in entertainment consumption patterns. “With our flexible curated platform, we want to continue to help decision-makers and the industry to investigate new opportunities and ideas around kids content,” says Brejner who has also redesigned her own role. “As new senior creative advisor, I will have more time to brainstorm ideas to launch new initiatives around the Forum, our flagship event,” she explains.

Thanks to the recent report ‘Nordic Co-Productions for Children and Youth’ (TO DOWNLOAD REPORT CLICK HERE) commissioned by Nordisk Film & TV Fond on behalf of M:brane, the company and the Fund, have been able to assess the real place and value of co-productions for kids and youth creators and financiers, and to fine-tune future priorities.

These include reinforcing the marketing and distribution of kids and youth content and continuing to earmark a fixed volume of funding towards kids and youth content. 

Petri Kemppinen, departing CEO at Nordisk Film & TV Fond said: “The Board of Nordisk Film & TV Fond recently discussed the findings of the report and was keen on keeping the level of around 20% of its production funding geared towards kids and youth content, and also stressed the good results of our distribution support.” 

Similar goals were set by EU professionals within the wider ‘Weimar Declaration’ issued in June during the KIDS Regio Forum in Weimar, whose five-point agenda is the following:


  • to strengthen co-development and co-production 
  • to extend and improve research & data 
  • to emphasise cooperation, networks and lobbying, notably via the Project 15+, which comprises dedicating at least 15% of funding, content in cinemas, on TV and platforms as well as academic curriculum to children’s films 
  • to reinforce distribution and marketing 
  • to enhance education and training of professionals 

Kemppinen noted: “The Project 15+ of the Weimar Declaration is a major discovery: if 15% of the population are children why not indeed allocate at least that amount of funding, and moreover, promote their voice in the public debate and support – like in the case of Greta Thunberg – what they are already doing themselves.”

Brejner said the Weimar Declaration is “a strong lead for improvement”, and crucial points from the agenda will be debated during the Opening Industry Day at the M:brane Forum 2020 (March 10-12). 

For further information about M:brane, check: www.mbrane.se