Editor

The Norwegian Minister of International Development, Erik Solheim, announced the establishment of a new fund to support film productions in Asia, Africa and Latin America. With a focus on freedom of speech, the fund grants funding to support film productions in countries where resources for such projects are limited. The fund will supplement other European film funds with similar purposes. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture have committed to grant two million NKR every year, for a period of five years. The Norwegian Film Institute and Films from the South are responsible for managing the fund.
Solheim presented the fund at a press conference at Filmens Hus today: - There are two main reasons for the establishment of this fund. The first is the role of film in creating a national identity. This is especially important for developing countries where arbitrary borders have been drawn irrespective of ethnic groups. In this context film can act as the glue that holds a society together. Secondly, film is a powerful tool for setting the news agenda and broaching new subjects. The fund is meant for productions that break fresh ground, not excluding those that handle controversial themes. We wish to promote these productions, and hope that the initiative will eventually return to Norway as a cultural enrichment,” said Solheim.
Artistic Manager of Films from the South, Lasse Skagen, explained that the fund is intended to support film productions in countries on the DAC list from the OECD. – “I am very happy that the fund is now going to be realized. The festival has a long-standing cooperation with the Norwegian Film Institute, and the fund is a natural expansion of the work we have been doing. It means a lot for the festivals ability to remain an arena for meetings between international filmmakers and other individuals from the film industry. Freedom of speech will be an important theme for the fund, in the sense that we will work to support productions that because of their content may experience difficulty securing financing locally. The fund gives us the opportunity to continue building relationships with countries in the south,” said Skagen.
- “The new film fund is a development project with widespread support in the film community. We hope that it will have a positive ripple effect making Norwegian film more widely known worldwide,” said Lotte Grepp Knutsen, State Secretary for the Ministry of Culture.
- “I would like to congratulate Films from the South and the other involved parties with their success. However, what is most important are the stories that will be told, that would have had a limited chance of reaching an audience otherwise. I am very happy that Norwegian film producers are able to play a part in the establishment of this fund,” said Leif Holst Jensen, Manager of Produsentforeningen.
Contact:
Lasse Skagen, Artistic Manager Films from the South: Tel: + 47 22 82 24 80 / Cell: + 47 95 81 42 73 / Email: lasse@filmfrasor.no
Press coordinator Emilie Ekeberg: Tel: +47 22 82 24 81 / Cell: +47 45 03 34 79 / Email: emilie@filmfrasor.no
International Press Coorodinator, Gary Springer, Springer Associates PR, +1-212-354-4660 (office), +1-914-659-4802 (mobile), gary@springerassociatespr.com