FkN News
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FkN Activity Report 2007 - Summary
Filmkontakt Nord (FkN)
has since its establishment in 1991 by the independent Nordic short
& documentary film community been dedicated to the advancement and
promotion of Nordic short films and documentaries internationally.
The
organisation has four main objectives: information, marketing,
networking and the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and
know-how. During FkN’s 16 years of activity, it has established itself
as a unique central source of information and expertise, catering to
the needs of the Nordic independent short film and documentary
community, and meeting the demands of the International Marketplace.
FkN’s
main function is to serve as a common Nordic platform for a stronger
production and distribution network within the Nordic countries and a
visible united exposure internationally, joining a strong cultural
profile with a driven and future-oriented industrial perspective.
FkN’s
activities and projects in 2007 were made possible thanks to the
following financial sources: Nordic Council of Ministers (DKK
1.500.000), the Nordic national film institutions and ministries (DKK
1.100.000), Producers’ fees (DKK 463.000), MEDIA Promotion (DKK
283.000) and Nordic Film & TV Fund (DKK 200.000).
Since 2008
FkN is managed by Karin Johansson-Mex who replaced Karolina Lidin as
the new director of the organisation together with the staffers,
Katrine Kiilgaard (Information and Marketing), Heidi Elise Christensen
(Web and Nordisk Forum), Jing Haase (Information and Film Coordination)
and Laura Kiralfy (Nordisk Forum Coordination).
In 2007, FkN
launched the new website, Nordic Portal for short films and
documentaries, a digital marketing and distribution platform for the
Nordic short film and documentary community. The Nordic Portal
integrates a wide range of FkN’s services by offering key-information
on the Nordic short film and documentary sector, a.o. films,
professionals and industry events, thus fortifying FkN’s role as First
Stop in the Nordic Countries.
Nordic Portal has more than 4000
active users, which is a quadruplication in comparison to earlier
years, and the frequency of sessions reaches over 30.000 sessions per
month. The expansion of the Nordic Portal to include the FkN Contact
Database and video streaming has further increased the use of Nordic
Portal.
During 2007, 294 new films were registered in the FkN
Video Library and FkN Online Film Catalogue, which thus comprised a
total of 3835 Nordic short films and documentaries produced since 1991.
The Online Film Catalogue provides key-information on all titles and at
the FkN Video Library preview copies of all films are available to
visiting professionals. The FkN Video Library plays an important role
not only in the promotion of new productions, but also in the long term
marketing and reactivation of older titles which are of interest for
thematic channels and distributors to the niche market.
FkN
continued its marketing activities at MIPTV/MIPDOC, where a total of 13
documentaries and children’s films were marketed through email
advertising, a special edition catalogue and individual meetings with
international TV-buyers, resulting in 238 screenings and requests for
screening copies. In addition, 21 producers/filmmakers joined the
Nordic Producers’ Stand at Sunny Side of the Doc, hosted by FkN, who
gave the producers individual consultancy before and during the event.
The special marketing initiative for children’s films launched in 2004
was continued in collaboration with the international children’s film
festival/market Cinekid (Amsterdam), resulting in more than a 100
screenings of Nordic children’s films.
Special focus was given
to animation and short film initiatives in 2007, resulting in the FkN
Nordic Producers' Stand at MIFA animation market and the continuation
of the successful initiative of Nordisk Short Film Circle, a one-day
seminar for Nordic short film professionals during Nordisk Panorama
(see below).
Oulu City hosted the 18th edition of Nordisk
Panorama Event, the travelling triptych event, comprising Festival,
Market and Co-financing Forum. Nordisk Panorama Event is the main
platform for short films and documentaries in the Nordic region,
offering an annual business venue and showcase, spanning all
professional focus areas from development and financing to distribution
and exhibition. Nordisk Panorama 2007 attracted close to 450
professionals from 22 countries.
Nordisk Panorama – 5 Cities
Film Festival presented 162 films, 78 of which were competing in the
three competition programmes for the Nordic Awards for Best Short Film,
Best Documentary and the newly launched competition programme New
Nordic Voices. The film screenings and the substantial seminar
programme, highlighting Nordic Music Videos, and special programs with
the spanish director Fernando Trueba, and the finnish director Mika
Kaurismäki.
Nordisk Panorama Market offered a comprehensive
overview of the year’s production of short films and documentaries from
the Nordic countries, all 295 published in the Nordisk Panorama Market
Catalogue. 27 professionals - including TV-buyers, distributors and
festival programmers - made effective use of the screening facilities
with more than 700 screenings.
During the 13th Nordisk Forum for
Co-financing of Documentaries, 21 Nordic and Baltic projects were
pitched to the 29 participating financiers. This year the Forum was
presented with new guidelines balancing originality with the financial
potential of each project. Nordisk Forum Online was offering a sneak
preview of all projects with short trailers before the event. This
online component was made efficient use of by attending financiers and
additional online services will be added in 2008. The special pitching
category for newcomers, New Talent Pitch, was continued and again very
well received. Nordisk Forum welcomed a total of 188 professionals from
13 countries. Based on the results of earlier years’ Forums, there is
reason to expect a turnover between financiers and producers of up to
€850.000 with some 80% of the projects either finished or in production
within the following year.
Focus areas for 2008 include the
launch of FkN's Digital Market with over 300 available titles of
streamed full- length, full-frame films for registered film festivals
and TV-buyers. Finally, FkN joins the efforts of Planet Greencode to
establish environmentally sustainable practices in the film industry,
this year undertaking a comprehensive analysis of CO2 emissions,
formulating a plan for short- & longterm reduction, and offsetting
unavoidable emissions.
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Vibeke Vogel is the new Danish board member at Filmkontakt Nord. Vibeke is a producer and filmmaker and has produced award winning documentaries with directors such as Max Kestner, Vibe Mogensen and Anne Wivel. In 2007 she established Bullitt Film in collaboration with filmproducer Elise Lund Larsen. The company produces both fiction and documentary. Vibeke Vogel replaces Mikala Krogh on the board, and new substitute board member is director Cæcilia Holbek Trier.
Focus: New Nordic and International Initiatives
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Since 1 April, the new Norwegian Film Institute - a fusion of the Norwegian Film Fund, the Norwegian Film Institute and Norwegian Film Development - is up and running. The new Norwegian Film Institute employes around 100 persons, and Nina Refseth, former CEO of the Norwegian publishing house Det Norske Samlaget, is Managing Director for the enterprise. Furthermore, four of five directors are in place, and a new board has been founded. The new directors are: Ivar Køhn, director for development and production, Mette Tharaldsen, director for information, Jan Graff, director for administration, and Mia Lindrup, director for audience. A director for marketing is yet to be found. The new board is: Managing Director in Bokklubbene Kristenn Einarsson (Chairman), Head of Institute at Westerdals Institutt for fortellingsmedier Nina Grünfeld (Vice Chairman), former director of the Danish Film Institute Henning Camre, producer Aage Aalberge, former secretary of state Randi Øverland, consultant/adviser at Midtnorsk Filmsenter, director Lisa Marie Gamlem, author/writer Eirik Ildahl and manager Morten Andeassen.
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The nine regional film centres and film funds in Norway have founded a common organisation, FilmReg. The organization is set up to show a united front and to have one voice in negotiations with the new Norwegian Film Institute. FilmReg will be a joint forum with a main focus on regional film matters and the goal is a united film policy, to strengthen national filmmaking by strengthening regional filmmaking.
The newly established
board consists of Irmelin Nordahl (President, Vestnorsk Filmsenter),
Svein Andersen (Vice President, FilmCamp), Lars L. Marøy (treasurer,
Filmfondet Fuzz), Inge Tenvik (Film3) and Ola Lund Renolen (Midtnorsk
Filmsenter).
The nine regional film centres and film funds are:
Film3, FilmCamp, Filmfondet FUZZ, Filmkraft Rogaland, Midtnorsk
Filmsenter, Midtnorsk Filmfond, Nordnorsk Filmsenter, Østnorsk
Filmsenter and Vestnorsk Filmsenter.
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Cine-Regio, the European network of regional film funds based in Göteborg, has lauched a new initiative for co-productions of children's and youth films: KIDS REGIO. The long term goal is to initiate a new network which shall help to improve the basis for valuable and promising European co-productions.
In order to
achieve this regular network, meetings are established with expert
working groups. These network meetings are also tageting producers,
authors, directors, distributors and sales companies, and they are
taking place in the respecive partner regions.
KIDS REGIO is an
initiative by Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung within the frameworks of
Cine-Regio, in co-operation with BUFF Financing Forum in Skåne, Sweden.
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Nordisk Film TV World has been appointed official distributor of Swedish public broadcaster SVT's formats. The agreement will more than double the size of Nordisk Film TV World's format catalogue. Nordisk Film TV World see the SVT deal as an important step in the strategy to be the world's leading distributor of Nordic TV formats.
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Amanda, the Norwegian film award, will be strengthened and expanded to cover several more categories. Industry Professionals working within cinematography, sound design, music, editing and scenography will thus be rewarded during this year's Amanda Award Ceremony. The film industry has for a long time wanted the most important professional fields within film production to have their special award categories and the Norwegian Film Festival and the Amanda Committee have met the wish.
The Amanda Award Ceremony will also undergo a change in that it will be divided in two parts, with a private party for the film industry leading up to the TV show.
The Amanda show marks the end of the Norwegian film year of 2007-2008 and takes place in Haugesund Concert Hall on Saturday 16 August. At the same time, the award ceremony will kick off the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, taking place 17-23 August.
The Amanda Award will be presented in the following categories:
Best Norwegian Film for Theatrical Release
Best Direction (for films in theatrical release)
The People's Amanda (an audience award in cooperation with VG and TV2)
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Children's or Youth Film
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design
Best Music
Best Editing
Best Scenography
Best Short Film
Best Documentary
Best Foreign Film in Theatrical Release
The Amanda Committee's Golden Clapper (award for industry professionals)
The Amanda Committee's Special Award
