The series of discussions organised with the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture will run for a year, starting January 29th at the Göteborg Film Festival.

The initiative Audiovisual Collaboration 2021, jointly organised by Nordisk Film & TV Fond and the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, unfolds this year under the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, major partner to the Fund.

It will consist of a series of discussions to be held at the Göteborg Film Festival, CPH:DOX Film Festival in Copenhagen, the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, and the Helsinki Film Festival, as well as in-between brainstorming sessions.

The first live session: ‘The Nordic Council of Ministers Bets on Film’ takes place Friday, January 29 - 09.45-10.15 CET

To download the full press release: CLICK HERE.

The main purpose of Audiovisual Collaboration 2021 is to build bridges between the audiovisual sector and key decision-makers in the Nordic region, in order to create a sustainable industry. The pan-Nordic initiative is in line with the Council’s ‘Vision 2030’ action plan and its strategy for a green, competitive and socially sustainable Nordic region, relevant as well to the Nordic audiovisual industry.

Liselott Forsman, CEO at Nordisk Film & TV Fond says: “Our industry is extremely important for its audience impact, but also as a major trade and employer. In our exceptional times, the Nordic industry constantly needs to update its strategies. The pandemic causes turnover drops and reshapes distribution models as more global players enter our markets. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to ensure a dynamic dialogue between Nordic industry professionals and decision-makers. We all aim to promote a strong audiovisual industry, but from different angles.

“For me, an important principle of Audiovisual Collaboration 2021, is that questions raised along the way can be deepened and developed during the whole year. It is truly inspiring to work together on such a concrete level with the Nordic Council of Ministers through Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture, in collaboration with many major Nordic festivals.”

Audiovisual Collaboration 2021’s launching session at the Göteborg Film Festival will focus on the competitiveness of the Nordic audiovisual industry at a time of fast-changing global markets.

Following an introduction from Annika Saarikko, Finland’s Minister of Science and Culture, industry professionals Håkon Briseid, Executive Producer, Monster, Norway, Liisa Penttilä-Asikainen, managing director/producer Kaiho Republic, Finland, and Michael Nakan, CEO Clipper Media, UK will raise questions, to be discussed live by a panel, moderated by Nordisk Film & TV Fond CEO Liselott Forsman.

Panellists include:
- Laura Mäkelä, Finnish Ministry’s Counsellor for Cultural Affairs
- Anna Serner, CEO, Swedish Film Institute
- Lasse Saarinen, CEO, Finnish Film Foundation.

During the session, Nordisk Film & TV Fond will also offer a sneak-preview of its research paper: ‘Nordic Mission Possible: An Assessment of Covid-10-Impact on the Nordic Audiovisual Industry, and the Effectiveness of Government and Industry Measures’. The study commissioned to BI Norwegian Business School will be published by Nordisk Film & TV Fond in the coming weeks.