Full list of projects supported in May.

Feature Films

  •  Daniel (Ser du månen, Daniel) produced by Denmark’s Toolbox Film was granted NOK 2.8 million. Niels Arden Oplev directs, from a script by Anders Thomas Jensen (A Better World). The drama is based on the book The ISIS hostage: one man’s true story of 13 months in captivity by Puk Damgård. It is inspired by the true story of Danish journalist Daniel Rye, the last hostage to escape ISIS captivity alive. The film follows his life in captivity and his family in Denmark, desperately trying to cope with the hostage situation.

    In the main roles are Esben Smed, Anders W. Berthelsen, Sofie Torp, Sara Hjort, Christiane Gjellerup Koch, and Ardalan Esmaili. The film is produced by Toolbox Film’s Morten Kaufmann and Signe Leick Jensen, in co-production with Cinenic Film (Sweden), Hummelfilm (Norway), Deluca Film (Denmark), Film i Väst, in association with DR, SVT, YLE, the West Danish Fund, support from the Danish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, Norwegian Film Institute. Nordisk Film handles Scandinavian distribution and TrustNordisk world sales. The premiere is set for September 19, 2019. 
  • My Life as a Comedian (En Komikers uppväxt) produced by Anagram Sweden was granted NOK 2 million. Beyond Dreams’ Rojda Sekersöz directs the coming of age story written by Jonas Gardell from his best-selling novel. It’s a coming of age story about friendship, love, betrayal and trust that is built and destroyed. In the title role is Johan Rheborg. My Life as a Comedian is produced by Martin Persson (Anagram Sweden) in association with Film i Väst, SVT, SF Studios, support from the Swedish Film Institute.
  • A White, White Day (Hvítur, hvítur dagur) produced by Iceland’s Join Motion Pictures was granted NOK 1.8 million. This is the second feature for Hlynur Pálmason after Winter Brothers. An off-duty police chief suspects a local man for having had an affair with his wife, who recently died in a car accident. Gradually his obsession for finding out the truth accumulates and inevitably begins to endanger himself and his loved ones. The film is produced by Anton Máni Svansson (Join Motion Pictures) in co-production with Denmark’s Snowglobe, Sweden’s Hob AB, co-financing from Film i Väst, RUV, DR, support from the Icelandic Film Centre, the Danish Film Institute, Swedish film Institute, Creative Europe. Filming is set to start on August 14. 

TV series


  • Twin (8x45’) produced by Nordisk Film Norway for NRK was granted NOK 2 million. The series is based on an idea by actor Kristoffer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Gisle Norman Melhus and director/writer Kristoffer Metcalfe, co-writers of the screenplay with Anne Elvedal, Vegard Steiro Amundsen and Sofia Lersol Lund. Erika Calmeyer is co-director. Most of the series is shot on location in the Lofoten archipelago in Northern Norway. Hivju stars against Rebekka Nystabakk (Out of Nature).

    Erik is surfer-bum who hasn’t seen his identical twin Adam, a successful businessman with a picture-perfect family, for 17 years. When Erik loses everything, he reaches out to Adam, only to be rejected. A quarrel breaks out between them and Ingrid, Adam’s wife, accidentally kills Adam. To cover the crime and to save his brother’s family, Erik takes over Adam’s identity. Filming started on April 23rd and lasts until October.

    TWIN is produced by Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen for Nordisk Film Production, in co-production with Storyline NOR, Moskus Film, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute and Filmfond Nord. The premiere on NRK is set for March 2019. TrustNordisk handles world sales.

Documentaries

  • Vikings vs Wolves on Wall Street produced by Norway’s Nordicstories was granted NOK400,000. Director Fredrik Horn Akselsen has researched Norway’s Oil Fund, the largest investment fund in the world, set up and based on the Nordic model, to secure future generations. They have an ethics board that tell them what they cannot invest in and have implemented an environmental friendly and ethical investment plan to battle climate change and inequality. An increasing number of other investors are joining them. Can this form of finance save the world? Will the Vikings beat the wolves of Wall Street?

    The documentary produced by Nordicstories’ Rune H. Trondsen is co-financed by NRK, DR, Yle, the Norwegian Film Institute and Fritt Ord. Point du jour handles sales in Europe and Asia; East Village Entertainment English language territories. The premiere on NRK is set for February 2019. 
  • Flee produced by Denmark’s Final Cut for Real was granted NOK 1.3 million. Jonas Poher Rasmussen who made the acclaimed Searching for Bill in 2012 is directing the 2D animation film with a animation director Guillaume Dousse. The documentary film goes behind the story of the many refugees who arrive in Europe every day. It's the story about how people are forced from their homes and into the hands of human traffickers who take them on a journey through hostile environments and cynical bureaucracies. It's a personal story seen through the eyes of a boy who becomes a man on the journey. It's also a story about a friendship.

    Denmark’s Monica Hellström of Final Cut for Real is producing with Charlotte de la Gournerie of Sun Creature Studio, in co-production with France’s Vivement Dimanche, Sweden’s Most Films, Norway’s Mer Film, ARTE France and VPRO. The film will be delivered early 2020. CinePhil handles sales.
  • The Mercedes Principle (working title) produced by Danish Documentary was granted NOK 500,000. Russian director Alina Rudnitskaya (Blood) follows her co-nationals Diana, Lida and Vica. The women are on the same mission: they search for security, a higher social status and plain and simple happiness. This isn’t an easy task in post-communistic Russia, where an ancient patriarchal culture is ruling and the general perception of being happy equals a life with a successful husband. The film is produced by Sigrid Dyekjær, in co-production with Germany’s Ma.Ja.De, Norway’s Up North and Austria’s Golden Girls with support from the Danish Film Institute. More than ten broadcasters have pre-bought the film such as DR, Yle, SVT, NRK, WDR, VPRO. Autlook Sales handles sales.
  • My Father’s Acres (Den frelste jord) produced by Final Cut for Real was granted NO 250,000. Swedish director Carl Olsson (Blessed be This Place) directs. The film is about the landed gentry, battling on the border between history and modernity. With subtle humour, a strong sense for details and visuals, it explores this tension, hereby examining time itself, and the human’s struggle against it. The documentary in post-production is produced by Anne Köhncke, with co-financing for DR, SVT, Yle and support from the Danish Film Institute.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond also granted NOK80,000 to Nordisk Film Norway for the dubbing of the Danish animated film The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear.