Founded in 2014, Copenhagen-based Sweet Chili Entertainment has focused so far on distribution, aggregation and co-financing, bringing to the Nordic market a variety of Nordic and foreign films, and Nordic titles to world digital platforms.

Wanting Hassing was also associate producer on the 2015 Oscar-winning foreign language film Ida. But her goal was always to expand into high quality production. “Starting with distribution, aggregation and financing felt like the right move, but now that Sweet Chili has reached this level, it’s time to expand", she told nordicfilmandtvnews.com.

Wanting Hassing is now running the Nordic production, financing and distribution company together with Winther Skyum Funch, as co-CEOs and Executive Producers.

Winther Skyum Funch has worked more than a decade in film & TV financing and business affairs, including eight years at Yellow Bird, where she latest acted as CCO and exec producer. Amongst the prestigious productions that she has worked on are the original Millennium films and the upcoming US film The Girl in The Spider’s Web, the TV dramas Occupied, Rebecka Martinsson and The Truth Will Out.

Ole Søndberg, former Yellow Bird and The Good Company founder, joins Sweet Chili as Executive Producer, while Nordic industry veteran Rasmus Ramstad, who worked eight years for Warner Brothers and 15 years for SF Studios, has been appointed Chairman of the Board and overall strategic advisor.

To bring their ambitious drama production plans to fruition, the four partners have secured the financial backing from Aino Kann Rasmussen, daughter of Velux founder Villum Kann Rasmussen.

Outlining their production strategy, Wanting Hassing and Winther Skyum Funch said: “Sweet Chili will embrace international co-productions, in-house productions and distribution. Our target is to have 1-3 productions and co-productions per year, and we are sure that the experienced and future-minded top industry profiles gathered in Sweet Chili makes this possible. We aim to be a driving force in Scandinavian high-quality film and TV-drama.”

Sweet Chili’s co-heads also noted that they will work across different genres, with original material or existing IP.

In terms of distribution, the company will remain flexible and open to all partnerships, depending on the project.

On the company’s current slate are two high-end TV dramas in early development stage, one to be co-produced with Norway’s Paradox and The Oslo Company, and the second one with Sweden’s Yellow Bird.

Details on the projects will be announced at a later stage, together with the name of a new creative producer who will strengthen Sweet Chili’s drama production output.