Nordisk Film & TV Fond has selected 15 projects for its 20th Nordic Talents Pitch Competition to be held October 21-22 at Copenhagen’s National Film School of Denmark.

This year’s 15 pitches from 19 graduation film students, consist of seven fiction film projects, five series (including one animated and one cross media project), and three documentary films. 

Registration for participants to attend is now open: CLICK HERE.

To download and read the full press release: CLICK HERE.

The Norwegian Film School, Lillehammer is out in force with six projects. ELO Film School Finland, Espoo and Stockholm University of the Arts have three projects each; HDK Valand, Gothenburg, the National Film School of Denmark, Copenhagen and VIA Film & Transmedia, Aarhus have one project each.

Commenting on the selection, Project Manager Ann-Sophie W. Birkenes says: “The number of graduation students from the different schools, and programmes they graduate from, vary from year to year. This is naturally reflected in the yearly selection. In 2020 we had a high number of applications from The Norwegian Film School. Fortunately, the Covid-19 health crisis did not have an impact on the number of applicants and we were able to select 15 promising projects from close to 50 submissions.”

Liselott Forsman, CEO at Nordisk Film & TV Fond says: “Nordic Talents is a great opportunity for experienced professionals to dive into the fresh thinking and unique universes of upcoming creators. Most of the graduation works received in 2020, are still short films, while the new projects in planning show a great variation in themes, formats and culture arenas. I look very much forward to the 20th edition of our popular event, which enables truly productive and exciting meetings to all delegates".

The 15 selected projects will compete for the NOK 250,000 Nordic Talents Pitch Prize and NOK 50,000 Nordic Talents Special Mention, granted to the winners as development support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

This year’s Nordic Talents jury of prominent professionals comprises: 

  • Amanda Kernell, director (Sweden)  
  • Eva Mulvad, director/producer and co-owner of Danish Documentary (Denmark)  
  • Sigurjón Kjartansson, screenwriter, head of development at RVK Studios (Iceland) 
  • Jussi Rantamäki, producer, owner of Aamu Film Company (Finland) 
  • Tone Rønning, commissioning editor at NRK (Norway).

Other highlights at Nordic Talents 2020 include: 

  • a Masterclass with Christoph Fey, a Berlin-based entertainment lawyer, associated to premium dramas such as Unorthodox, Babylon Berlin, Deutschland 83/86/89 and the film The Grand Hotel Budapest. 
  • a Producers’ Pitch with 12 leading Nordic producers. The session will be moderated by Noemi Ferrer, Executive Producer, in charge of Partnerships and Pre-sales at DR Sales.

Note Covid-19 Due to the current health crisis, Nordic Talents has been postponed from its usual early September date to October 21-22, 2020. The Fund is still monitoring the related health regulations, travel and social-distancing restrictions carefully.

For further information on Nordic Talents: CLICK HERE 
or contact
Project Manager
Ann-Sophie W. Birkenes: ann-sophie@nftvfond.com


FULL LIST OF NORDIC TALENTS PITCH PROJECTS 2020: 

  • Black Dragon Express (Animated series)
    The National Film School of Denmark
    Pitcher: Mathias Rodrigues Bjerre (graduation film I don’t Have Time for This)
    Welcome aboard!
  • Escaping Bolivia (TV drama series)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitcher: Emilie Beck (graduation film Escaping Bolivia)
    How far are you willing to go to save yourself?
  • Kolbar (documentary film)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitchers: director Hazhir Ibrahimi, producer Ole Henrik Furberg Karlsen (graduation film Please wait…)
    A child tries to achieve his dream even if it costs his life.
  • Legendary (fiction film)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitcher: writer/director Mads Lind Knudsen (graduation film Before Long) 
    ‘I know you want it’.
  • Neverland (working title) (fiction film)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitcher: director Håvard Fandrem (graduation film A Quiet Sea)
    Where do you run when what you fear is inside you? 
  • Nothing Disappears, Everything Remains (documentary film)
    Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH)
    Pitcher: director/cinematographer Lamin Daniel Jadama (graduation film Nothing Disappears, Everything Remains) 
    Music documentary, social realism.
  • Racing Hearts (documentary film)
    Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH)
    Pitcher: director/editor Milla Bergh (graduation film Racing Hearts) 
    Ewy and Ursula, 1962. The only female team ever to drive in Gran Premio Argentina. 
  • Rook (TV drama series)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitchers: director Mohamed Chakiri (graduation film Norwegian Couscous), writer Emil Wahl (graduation film Papapa)
    You’ll never find your true self, searching among others.
  • The Beast Friend (fiction film)
    ELO Film School Finland
    Pitchers: producer Julia Elomäki, writer/director Lauri-Matti Parppei (graduation film The Last Day)
    A psycho-sexual fable of toxic relationships and co-dependency.
  • The Earwig (fiction film)
    HDK-Valand
    Pitcher: director/producer Sebastian Johansson Micci (graduation film The Drowning Goat) 
    My Father Toni Erdmann meets District 9 and The Celebration. 
  • The Ovulation Narrative (fiction film)
    ELO Film School Finland
    Pitcher: writer/director Anna Mellin (graduation film Filia) 
    A film about women who bend over Aristotle’s statue.
  • The Pacific Patch People (TV drama series)
    Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH)
    Pitcher: production designer Lisanne Fransen (graduation film The Pacific Patch People) 
    A hopeful story about an inspiring community in a future unhinged by climate change.
  • The Scavenger (fiction film)
    Multiplatform Storytelling and Production-VIA Film & Transmedia
    Pitchers: writer/director Kim Lütze Hjælm, cinematographer Alex Kristensen (graduation film Another Trailer)
    A liar is a man in fear. A thief is a man in need.
  • Whatever Life (web/cross-media series)
    ELO Film School Finland
    Pitcher: director/producer Severi Koivusalo (graduation film Whatever Life) Whatever Life transfers the peculiar mindset of Instagram artist Pieruperse into a comedy series format. 
  • Woman Walking (fiction film)
    The Norwegian Film School
    Pitchers: director Kerren Lumer-Klabbers, writer Emil Wahl (graduation film Papapa) 
    Story about a woman, a field and the meaning of life.