New agreement boosts Nordic film and TV

PRESS RELEASE: The Nordic culture ministers wish to continue to prioritise film and television and have announced today that along with 16 television companies and the region’s five biggest film institutes, they have entered into a new agreement with Nordisk Film & TV Fond. 

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Nordisk Film & TV Fond is one of the culture ministers’ main priorities. Its objective is to improve the Nordic region’s position in a globally competitive market by promoting the production and distribution of Nordic films and TV programmes. The ministers are pleased with the new agreement, which also seeks to enhance the general understanding of neighbouring cultures in the region.

“Popular tv series like Skam, The Bridge and Trapped in recent years have encouraged more and more people to watch programmes from the other Nordic countries. They provide insights into each other’s languages and cultures. The new agreement is ambitious and includes a record number of partners. It will help us to maintain our strong international position and continue to support children and young people, new talent and documentaries,” says Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture and Iceland’s Minister of Education, Science and Culture.

“We have high expectations. With new partners like the pan-Nordic NENT Group and C More Entertainment the Fund is opening itself up to streaming services, the Norwegian web platform VGTV is an important player in documentary making and the telecommunications company Siminn further strengthens the part played by Iceland. On the whole, the agreement is an acknowledgment that the work of Nordisk Film & TV Fond and its partners helps strengthen the industry by spreading unique stories and award-winning productions, and by promoting Nordic cultural co-operation more generally. We are delighted with the ongoing support and the confidence shown in us by the culture ministers,” says Liselott Forsman, CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

New partners, new conditions
While Nordic films and TV programmes have been enjoying success both in the region and beyond, distribution and content have also been evolving in response to new markets and changing TV habits. This is due to both new technology and changing media consumption patterns, especially among young people.

Features, documentaries and TV
Every year, Nordisk Film & TV Fond supports the production and distribution of more than 50 feature films, documentaries and TV productions. It also organises a large number of industry events and acts as secretariat for the Nordic Council Film Prize, which is awarded each year at the end of October. One third of the fund’s annual budget of approximately DKK 83 million comes from the Nordic Council of Ministers, one third from the five national film institutes and foundations, and one third from the 16 Nordic public-service channels and commercial broadcasters covered by the agreement.