FkN Newsletter

December 2012

FkN News

06.12.2012
NPM Christmas Calendar Launched
This year Filmkontakt Nord introduces the NPM Christmas Calendar, presenting a selection of 24 fantastic Nordic shorts and docs that have won awards all over the world in 2012. One film a day will be promoted from 1-24 December, for festival programmers, buyers, distributors and sales agents to enjoy a daily December treat - directly in their inbox and just a click away!

If you're not a festival programmer, buyer, distributor or sales agent, you can still follow the Christmas calendar on Facebook.

06.12.2012
The Office is Closed between Christmas and New Year
The Filmkontakt Nord office closes 22 December for the holidays, but we will be back and ready for a new exciting year of Nordic short and documentary films on 2 January 2013. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

New Nordic and International Initiatives

06.12.2012
Nordisk Film & TV Fond Adjusts Support Criteria
Under the guidance of its Board the Nordisk Film & TV Fond announces effective 1 January 2013 a series of adjustments to its support schemes to clarify the division of tasks between the Fond and its Nordic partners - the national film institutes and television stations - and to adapt to the realities of the film and television industries.

The key adjustments and specifications of the Fond's support schemes are the following:

- The Fond's main objective remains the same, which is to act as top-up financing for high-quality Nordic audio-visual productions with big audience potential primarily in the Nordic region, secondly internationally.

- Only in exceptional occasions will the Fond support projects that are judged as not having a significant audience potential.

- Children and Youth remain a priority target group.

- To respond to a greater number of projects targeting the Nordic and international market, higher grants will possibly be allocated to those ambitious Nordic productions.

- Greater national responsibility will therefore be given to projects targeting a national audience and to talent development.

- Development support to single projects will be discontinued, as it is viewed as a national responsibility.

- The Fond will in the future grant strategic development support to cross-national and eventually cross-platform initiatives such as High Five Cross Media Content for Kids. Strategic development support can also be granted to adult projects.

- In the coming years, non-traditional platforms to watch Nordic productions such as VoD may be considered in the Fond's distribution support.

Download the full details in English here or Danish here.

06.12.2012
Iceland Increases Investment in Film
Last month the Icelandic government introduced their new investment plan for 2013-2015 to boost creative industries in Iceland. According to the plan the Icelandic Film Fund will receive extra funding of approximately EURO 2.870.000 (ISK 470 million) annually for the next three years.

The government states "The 2013-2015 Investment Programme is part of a new advance, following the economic collapse, which is aimed at reinforcing the economic recovery and growth. The Programme is based upon the assumption that, given the current economic situation, it is advisable to devote a considerable portion of the funding which has been tied up in banks, together with part of the resource fees, towards organised and focused investment in infrastructure to the public benefit."

The funding for the Investment Programme has been secured and is to be approved by the Parliament. This is a welcome relief to the beleaguered film industry in Iceland, which has seen public investment in film shrink by around 35% for the past three years due to the economic crash.

The additional funding comes on top of the 2011 agreement between The Ministry of Culture and the industry, which stated that film funding would increase from ISK 500m (EURO 3.1m) in 2012 to ISK 700m (EURO 4.4m) in 2015.

06.12.2012
Swedish and Danish Shorts & Docs Shortlisted for an Oscar
The Swedish hit documentary Searching for Sugar Man by Malik Bendjelloul has made the initial shortlist for the upcoming Academy Awards^®. Originally 126 docs qualified for the Oscar^® race. They have now been narrowed down to 15 films, from which five nominees will be selected.

In the short film category the Swedish Kiruna-Kigali by Goran Kapetanovic has also been shortlisted for an Oscar^®, together with the Danish short film 9 Meters directed by Anders Walter and produced by 5-time nominee and 3-time winner of the Academy Awards^® short film competition M&M Productions.

Since 2011 Nordisk Panorama has been a qualifying festival in the Academy Awards^® short film category for the winner of the Nordic Short Film Award, provided the film meets the Academy rules.

The final nominations will be announced on 10 January and the Academy Award^® ceremony will be held on 24 February 2013.