Sweden’s Göteborg Festival Nordic Film Market, the biggest in TV-movie industry forum in Scandinavia, is launching at its 2025 edition the Film Finances Scandinavia Award. The Prize will offer €15,000 ($16,500) in development support to one outstanding Nordic feature film from the Discovery Co-Production Platform.
Buying time and resources for creators and producers to address the basis of near any film’s success, the award comes as Scandinavia’s film industry faces considerable financing challenges. One potential solution is to hike private sector finance where Film Finances is an established player, having issued completion bonds for film and television for over 70 years.
A jury of industry professionals will select the winning project which will be announced during an Award Ceremony on Jan. 30 at the Nordic Film Market, the Market announced Friday.
One of the Market’s centerpiece draws, the Platform showcases around 15 promising projects annually, highlighting emerging talent which ranges from the Nordic region’s rising stars to lesser known filmmakers, linking them to co-production partners and other potential international finance sources.
Recent titles unveiled at Discovery include Ali Abbasi’s third feature “Holy Spider,” which went on to scoop best actress for Zar Amir Ebrahimi at Cannes Competition, and Milad Alami’s “Opponent,” a Berlin Panorama Ecumenical Prize winner.
Discovery standouts also take in Ninja Thyberg’s Cannes and Sundance hit “Pleasure”; Malene Choi Jensen’s “The Quiet Migration,” a 2023 Panorama Fipresci laureate; triple Karlovy Vary winner “The Hypnosis,” from Ernst de Geer, and Cannes Un Certain Regard player “Sick of Myself,” from Kristoffer Borgli, who went on to direct Nicolas Cage in “Dream Scenario.”
“In the current financial climate, where it is particularly difficult to secure development capital, we hope this award will enhance production companies’ ability to clarify the film’s vision,” said Susanne Tiger, CEO of Film Finances Scandinavia. “This award will strengthen projects at their critical stage towards green light.”
“The Film Finances Scandinavia Award offers much-needed support to filmmakers during a key stage of their project,” agreed Göteborg Festival’s Head of Industry Josef Kullengård. “By focusing on the Discovery line-up, this partnership highlights the need to nurture and develop talent and the importance of investing in the future of Nordic cinema.”
“Nordic film institutes offer development support, but at a time when producers and creators need more support than ever to pursue strong artistic visions, it is important to unite both private and public funding sources to help secure the future of Nordic film,” he added. “This initiative and the partnership with Film Finances Scandinavia, is certainly a part of that effort.”
Discovery 2025’s call for projects closed on Sept. 30 with a record number of submissions.
The 2025 Nordic Film Market will run Jan. 29-31, the Göteborg Festival from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2.
Tea Lindeburg and Jesper Morthorst at Discovery, Nordic Film Market 2023
Photo by Tatyana Mircheva
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