Renewed Nordic support for struggling film and television industry
In early May, the NFTVF convened two strategic partner meetings to review both the previous and the upcoming five-year periods.
“Thanks to the renewed contract and continued positive co-operation with our public and private partners, our small office with the equivalent of just over five full-time employees can continue their dedicated and strategic efforts to ensure a bright future for the Nordic industry,” says director of the NFTVF, Liselott Forsman.
Top Nordic priority
Funding for films and series is one of the Nordic Council of Ministers' more extensive long-term investments from its culture budget. Ensuring high quality and broad distribution both within the Nordic region and beyond are priorities for the Nordic ministers for culture.
“We can be proud that the Nordic film and television sector is highly valued in the European cultural landscape right now. The NFTVF's long-term cooperation demonstrates that by investing in quality, we can promote the diversity of cultural expression as well as the sectors' competitiveness and contribution to pluralism and, by extension, to democracy.” says Finnish Minister of Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie
An industry under pressure
The film, documentary, and especially the drama series industry in the Nordic Region has been under great pressure in recent years due to rising production costs, reduced Nordic and international orders, and increased competition in the global market.
“We'll continue to stay at the forefront with unique and high-quality works that resonate. What engages audiences here in the Nordics usually works globally, too. It's more important than ever to guarantee funding for an industry where every penny is paid back many times over and where the works truly raise the Nordic Region's international profile. This is a wise investment,” says Forsman
She points out that Nordic films regularly win awards at the Cannes Film Festival, while Nordic films and documentaries are nominated for Oscars on an annual basis. Nordic drama series also win European awards every year. Despite this, there is a clear decline in production volumes. International competition has increased enormously while all companies are being forced to tighten their purse strings.
Upcoming initiatives
The fund is planning a number of new initiatives over the next five years.
“During our partner meetings, we presented the fund's initiatives for the Nordic Ecological Standard which we're developing together with film institutes. It's only when sustainability is embedded in all Nordic financier requirements that our region can become truly green,” says Forsman.
The fund's popular networking and script lab, Nordic Script (2021-2025), is also getting a parallel lab for commissioners, known as Nordic Commissioners.
“It's the commissioner that determines which productions come to fruition. It's a very important profession for which there is no official training,” says Forsman.
Documentaries, new co-financing structures, and collaboration on animation were also on the agenda during the meetings.
