Nordic Council of Ministers Terminates Crucial Support for Nordic Film Collaborations

Grave Impact for Documentary and Short Filmmakers

May 18, 2021

For More Information, Contact:  Ilja Stenberg, press@np-test.server01.dk

 

Nordic Council of Ministers eliminates all support for Nordisk Panorama (NP) in 2022.  

 

Nordisk Panorama, held annually, has for the last 30 years been the key venue for promoting and launching Nordic short and documentary films. This reduction equals a 60% cut in NP’s operating budget, which in turn will mean drastic cuts for the film sector at a time when the pandemic has devastated the film industry.

Anita Reher, Director, stated, “We provide the stepping-stone, that lets Nordic filmmakers reach beyond their borders to the world. Filmmakers needed our support in the best of times. Now, as they face endless challenges, the Council’s decision will have a dramatic impact on the industry’s most important gathering in our region.”

Demand is running higher than ever for participation in what the Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s recently released distribution report determined is a “key industry event” in the Nordic Region, the Nordisk Panorama Pitching Forum, which presents new Nordic film projects to financiers. That demand will only grow as the audiovisual industry struggles to get back on its feet again. Most of the companies Nordisk Panorama supports are independent enterprises that rely heavily on Nordic co-financing to realize their films.

Nordisk Panorama’s primary objective is to encourage collaboration and the production of high-quality short and documentary films in the Nordic countries. It was also created to let new voices and new generations of filmmakers enter the film industry. NP’s framework enables independent filmmakers to promote their films and receive funding from public sources in the Nordic region and from the industry at large. NP gathers the resources – creative talent, industry networks, and international financiers from broadcasting, film institutes, streaming platforms, and private foundations – that let Nordic filmmakers succeed on the world stage.

The visual storytellers Nordisk Panorama serves are the ambassadors of Nordic culture for our region and around the world. Nordisk Panorama has enabled Nordic filmmakers to maintain an outsized presence in the global film industry. Documentaries are also at the forefront of raising awareness about critical issues and encouraging public dialogue.