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SCANDINAVIAN FILMS - A SHORT HISTORY
The first discussions about a Nordic cooperation
in the field of feature films took place in 1977-1978 on the initiative
of the directors at the time - Mr. Harry Schein of Svenska Filminstitutet
(The Swedish Film Institute), Mr. Finn Aaby of Det Danske Filminstitut
(The Danish Film Institute), and Mr. Egil B. Fonn of Norsk Kino og filmfond
(The Norwegian Cinema and Film Fund). Later, also the Finnish film foundation
joined, represented by director Karl Uusitalo. Norway was also represented
by the Ministry of Church Affairs and Education,
Norsk Film AS, and Norsk Filminstitutt (The Norwegian Film Institute).
Iceland, represented by their Film Fund, joined in 1983.
Nordic Film Festivals
The cooperation began in March 1978 with the opening of the first Nordic
Film Festival in Copenhagen, the first of 23, which have later alternated
between the Nordic countries, with children's films and feature films
being shown every other year. The Nordic Film Festivals of later years
were arranged in 1999 in Nuuk, Greenland, and in 2001 in Kautokeino,
Sapmi, Norway. After this, one has agreed that the Nordic film events
in Göteborg and Haugesund have replaced much of the purpose and
functions of these festivals.
The children's films festival Buster in Copenhagen
has taken over the focus on Nordic films for children.
Seminars
Annual professional film seminars were at first alternating between
the Nordic countries. But soon they found regular premises at Den Danske
Filmskole (The Danish Film School). In addition to the seminars, a number
of conferences have been held. In 1993, the first of three seminars
on "the distribution of Nordic films in the Nordic countries"
took place in Göteborg, as a corrective and an ideas bank for the
great challenge of the Nordic countries: To secure the inter-Nordic
distribution of feature films for cinema.
International initiatives
Already from February 1979, the collaboration materialized as a common
stand in Berlin under the headline "Scandinavian Films in Berlin."
The positive results from this led to a further initiative the next
year in Cannes, where we, in addition to a joint stand in the Festival
Palace, also rented a large apartment with a garden in Villa Racine
at the La Croisette between Hotel Carlton and the old festival palace.
The apartment is used to promote the knowledge of Nordic films, and
thereby also for sales promotion. After a while, it was also put at
the disposal of Nordic sales agents. In addition, it became a gathering
place for producers and Nordic participants, as well as the setting
for a number of receptions. For several years, Scandinavian Films arranged
regular screenings in Cinema la Star, but these were later moved to
Les Ambassades. With the introduction of the common logo -
a rock carving of a viking ship - there was no doubt that the vikings
had invaded the city.
In 1992, the viking ship was replaced by a more
stylized sail, and in 2001, the new text logo appeared.
The apartment in Cannes was a success from the start.
The cooperation was carried out with great enthusiasm, and the practical
responsibility alternated between the countries involved.
The success of the joint stand was repeated at the
Moscow Film Festival in 1989 and in 1990 at the Montreal Film Festival.
After 1995, the respective institutes have also participated in European
Film Promotion initiatives in Montreal, Toronto and Pusan.
Film Weeks
The attention Scandinavian Films received created a lot of enthusiasm,
and in 1980, 28 Nordic films were successfully presented in the US,
opening in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and Miami. Already
in November 1981, this was followed up with a common Nordic film week
in Japan, opening in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. In 1982-1983, Nordic films
participated in the cultural intitiative Scandinavia Today in the US.
In 1983, Nordic films invaded Australia, being shown in Sydney, Melbourne
and Canberra, and continued to New Zealand, with screenings in three
cities. In 1986, a Nordic Film Week was arranged in New York. This was
repeated in 1996 in cooperation with the American Scandinavian Foundation.
In 1992, a Norwegian Film Week was arranged at the National Film Theatre
in London in cooperation with Scandinavia Film Society, founded in 1991.
At the festivals in Montreal in 1992 and in Sao Paulo in 1994, Scandinavian
Films arranged an extensive Nordic film presentation. Film weeks were
also arranged in Johannesburg/Cape Town in 1995, in Tokyo in 1997, and
in Asia in 1999/2000. In 2001, a Nordic Week was arranged in Paris,
and there was a focus on Nordic films at the Toronto Festival. This
year, the Shanghai Festival will invite a large number of Nordic films
to the screenings in June.
In 1990, Scandinavian Films established a collaboration
with Baltic Cinema, which among other things resulted in a Nordic Film
Week in the Baltic States in 1991, and a Baltic Film Week in the Nordic
countries in 1992.
A larger scale Nordic culture and film intitiative
took place in the Baltic States in 1995 and 1997, supported by the Nordic
Council of Ministers. After this, several other arrangements and film
weeks have been arranged.
In 2001-2002, Scandinavian Films granted means from
the Nordic Council of Ministers for the distribution of Nordic films
in the Baltic States.
Scandinavian Films have been represented regularly
at the Nordische Filmtage in Lübeck since 1982, and at the Cinema
Nordique in Rouen since 1988.
Film Awards
In 1990, the Film Committee of the Nordic Council of Ministers introduced
"The Nordic Film Award", which was given out three times:
In 1990 to Ilka Järvilaturi from Finland, in 1991 to Kjell Grede
from Sweden, and in 1993 to Fridrik Thor Fridriksson from Iceland. From
1993 on, the Nordic Film Award has been replaced, so to speak, by the
"Amanda Award for Best Nordic Film" at the Haugesund Festival,
and by the Nordic Awards in Göteborg.
In connection with the 25th anniversary of the Nordische
Filmtage in 1983, Scandinavian Films introduced a film award which was
later earmarked for a Nordic instructor for a film aimed at children
and youth up to the age of 15.
In 2002, Scandinavian Films finally received acceptance
for its concept of a Nordic Council Film Award,which was presented to
Aki Kaurismäki for his film The Man Without a Past. One assumes
this will become
a regular Nordic award from 2005 on.
Sales
In 1983, for the first time one managed to persuade the Nordic TV stations
to permit representatives from the Nordic film institutes access to
the trade fair of the Nordic TV stations - Nordic Screening. Most institutes
now participate regularly at the fair.
Cassette exchange
In 1983, the Nordic film institutes established an agreement on the
exchange of video cassettes with Nordic feature films subtitled in English.
The agreement has later been expanded to also include Nordens Hus (Nordic
House) in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, and Den Europeiske Filmhøjskole
(The European Film College) in Ebeltoft, Denmark. The films are available
to film professionals, purchasers, journalists etc, but are not available
for general loans or screenings. The agreement is today entrusted to
the respective producers and institutions.
Publications
The Nordic collaboration has resulted in a number of common publications
both within and outside of the Nordic countries, for instance: 1986
"Dreams of a Summernight", London - "Scandinavian Cinema"
from the 1990 exhibition in Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris - Nordisk
Barnefilms Historie (History of Nordic Films for Children) 1993 - Scandinavian
Film News from 1982 to 1986, which after a break was taken up again
with a new layout, and published in 1993, 1994 and 1995 - Fact &
Figures, the first common Nordic statistics in 1994,
as well as joint guides and publications in connection with festivals
and special initiatives.
Reports
In 1984, an analysis of the distribution pattern for Nordic films in
the Nordic countries, an evaluation report on "The Nordic Festivals
1978-83" on the basis of "location, contents and target group,"
and an evaluation report on the distribution of Nordic feature films
during the period 1981-84 were prepared.
Nordic Co-production
The Nordic Council of Ministers established The Nordic Film and TV Fund
in 1990 in collaboration with the film institiutes and the TV companies.
The idea for this fund surfaced at a seminar during the Nordic Film
Festival at Hanaholmen in 1987. The title of the seminar was "Promoting
the possibilities of Nordic co-production." The seminar carried
a resolution to the Council of Ministers on a production fund,
which Scandinavian Films followed up in close dialogue with the Nordic
Council of Ministers.
The Fund became a reality from 1990 on, with an
annual budget of 45 million Danish kroner.
1991-92 was named The Year of Nordic Distribution
and Co-production. The purpose was to produce five feature films, one
from each country, with a total budget limit of 100 million NOK, for
the promotion of Nordic film culture. Every film was to be distributed
simultaneously in all the countries. The films were to be collectively
presented in "Focus on Nordic Films" in Cannes in 1992. Three
of the films were presented in Cannes, together with two more Nordic
co-productions in a special sideshow during the Festival.
In collaboration with Filmfund Hamburg, 3 annual
co-production meetings with German and Nordic producers were set up
from 1994 on, dealing with concrete projects.
Organization structure
The Nordic Film Institutes/Scandinavian Films have held a minimum of
one annual joint meeting since 1978, with a fixed chairmanship since
1983. Scandinavian Films formalized its work in 1990 with a set of regulations.
This was revised in 1995, 1997, and 2001. The management structure consists
of two levels; one board with five institute directors, and one festival
committee with five managers of international matters.
Political reflections
By the end of 1994, the Nordic countries were at a crossroads, with
Iceland and Norway outside the European Union, and Denmark, Finland
and Sweden as members of the EU. This situation offered a possibility
for new priorities within the Nordic collaboration, seen in a European
perspective.
Finlands Filmstiftelse (The Finnish Film Foundation)
for a long time felt that the collaboration structure in Scandinavian
Films was problematic, when it came to joint profiling outside the Nordic
countries. The result was that Finland profiled itself independently
in Cannes from 1994 on, but the country is presently back on the stand
in Villa Racine. This led to an analysis of Scandinavian Films as organization
for future endeavours , with a view to new priorities seen in a European
perspective. The result was a restructuring of Scandinavian Films and
its tasks. Its profile as "Scandinavian Films" was played
down for the benefit of the single film and institution. There is a
continued will to jointly secure the economic foundation for the stands
in Berlin and Cannes, as well as major Nordic film weeks. At the same
time, it may be left to the single country whether it would be physically
represented at the various arrangements, and participating in European
projects.
Oslo, May 2004
Mona Jensen/Jan Erik Holst
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