Norwegian fund produces shop in Berlin

One of the key figures behind the Norwegian South Film Fund, setup lately to purchase films from third world countries, turned up within the Berlinale Friday to tubthump for your org. The fund, known to as Sorfond, is with each other given with the Norwegian Film Institute and Oslo's Films Within the South Festival whose artistic director, Lasse Skagen, is at Berlin to speak with potential candidates and assist them to interact with Norwegian co-production partners, additionally to meeting similar funding orgs. Sorfond was launched in co-operation while using Norwegian Secretary of condition for Foreign Matters and Secretary of condition for Culture. There's an initial cat of NOK4 million ($692,000) to distribute this year, getting a high limit per project of $178,000. Each project needs to experience a Norwegian co-producer and 50% of financing in place before a charge card applicatoin could be produced. The deadline for programs is Wednesday. Skagen mentioned the concept for your fund showed up in this area from the conversation inside a dinner within the French embassy in Oslo with Haitian director Raoul Peck. He advised the Norwegians to follow along with together with the instance of other funds specific at under developed nations, like France's Fonds Sud Cinema. Skagen states the eye in gold gold coin is obvious inside the participation within the festival, which draws in films from third world countries. "We'd a pitching forum in October within the festival, combined with 260 programs, so there's likely to end up lots of fascination with this," he mentioned. The pitching forum aided put producers from third world countries together with their Norwegian options. Getting dedication within the Norwegian government to continue funding for five years, Skagen mentioned, "We are concentrating on this around the long-term basis, and then we will establish new systems and consult with different producers together with other funders." The aim of the grant is always to lead "to strengthening film just like a cultural expression, to market diversity and artistic integrity round the worldwide film scene, also to strengthening freedom of expression," according to a disagreement. It is also wanted the fund will boost links involving the Norwegian and worldwide film industries. Recommendations as well as the application can be found at internet.sorfond.com. Contact Leo Barraclough at leo.barraclough@variety.com