A few days before the opening of the annual Nordic TV Drama networking and industry event, head of industry Cia Edström stressed the record number of attendees (420 against 360 in 2019) and strong presence of talent scouts, eager to snap the next big talent and stories from the Nordics.

She said the increased competition from other drama market was in no way putting pressure on her Nordic TV industry event. “Compared to C21 in London and Series Mania in Lille who welcome thousands of delegates, we have a boutique size and look exclusively at content and trends from the Nordics and Europe. Our recipe works, so why change?” she noted.

As we enter a new decade, the programme of this year’s TV Drama Vision will give an overview both of business and creative trends on the drama market and the hottest projects due to premiere in 2020/21.

As preamble to the event held for the second time at Göteborg’s historical Stora Teatern, will be a keynote speech from the academic Vincent Hendricks, professor of formal philosophy at Copenhagen University who will discuss “filter bubbles, sustainability and the model of a liberal democracy”.

Ampere Analytics’ Guy Bisson will provide another view on trends, in a conversation with media expert Johanna Koljonen, who will also offer a glimpse of her Nostradamus 2020 report, to be unveiled in full on January 31.

Koljonen will also moderate the roundtable ‘The European Model’ where panellists Simone Emmelius (ZDF), Lars Blomgren (Endemol Shine Group), Anna Croneman (SVT Drama), Christian Rank (DR Drama) and producer/director Dariuzs Jablonski will discuss how to create successful high-end drama in a saturated market, how to optimise collaborations, nurture talent and remain independent.

The topic of tax incentives will be the debated by Tomas Eskilsson (Film i Väst), Kristian Taska (Taska Films Estonia), Daniel Lägersten (Brain Academy, Sweden) and moderator Petri Kemppinen, who will look at what’s available in the Baltic and Nordic region at a time when such fiscal mechanisms are still lacking in Sweden and Denmark.

As usual Göteborg will be the opportunity for some key Nordic broadcasters and streamers to unveil their strategy and slate. Senior executives from TV4/C More, Viaplay, SVT, NRK, Yle, TV2 Denmark will take centre stage, next to European professionals from Germany’s ZDF (Simone Emmelius & Frank Seyberth) and top French producers Caroline Benjo and Carole Scotta of Haut & Court (The New Pope, The Returned).

Hot series showcased 
In terms of content, anticipated shows to be introduced as case studies include HBO Nordic’s original Swedish drama Beartown produced by Filmlance International, the Icelandic drama comedy My Funeral produced by Glassriver for Síminn, SVT’s dramedy Dreaming of England produced by Art& Bob, Yle’s mockumentary Belzebubs created by comic book artist JP Ahonen for Pyjama Films, while Norway’s Mer Film will present Ole Giæver’s Clone (in works in progress section) and teen crime drama Svik by Ina Lerner Grevstad, (in development section).

Other projects in the development section include the Finnish thriller The Social Worker produced by Fire Monkey & Moskito, the Austrian crime Snow, Estonian thriller The Deep, Bulgarian fertility drama Babyland and Ukranian dystopian thriller Alive. Ukraine’s other drama Hide & Seek will be introduced as case study. “You can see the influence of the Nordic noir, yet the series is very unique and highly engaging,” said Edström who tries each year to “look at different parts of Europe where co-production opportunities abound.”

Another dozen Nordic shows will be sneak peeked, including Iceland’s The Minister (Sagafilm/RÚV) and Sweden’s Tsunami (Filmlance/SVT) backed by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

For the fourth time, the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize will be handed out on the Wednesday evening. This year’s contenders Sara Johnsen (22 July, Norway), Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir (Happily Never After, Iceland), Matti Laine (The Paradise, Finland), Wilhelm Behrman, Niklas Rockström (Caliphate, Sweden), Dorte Høgh, Ida Maria Rydén (When the Dust Settles, Denmark), as well as jury members -actors Moa Gammel and Jakob Oftebro, journalist Cecilie Asker, journalist, director/producer Dariusz Jablonski - will be interviewed on stage by the Fund’s CEO Liselott Forsman.

All TV Drama Vision attendees are welcome to join the Fund in celebrating its 30th anniversary on Wednesday January 29.