14/12/2006

In its major report "Organisation of state support to the film industry", just delivered to Norwegian Minister of Culture Trond Giske, an industry committee has urged the government to create a mega-film body similar to the Danish and Swedish Film Institutes, and to ratify the European Convention on Co-Production of Cinematographic Works.

Commissioned last August by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, the report’s main objective was to assess the adequacy of the current organisation of the government agencies and institutions supporting film in order to strengthen the local film industry. A 12-member committee was appointed to conduct the research, which included Vigdis Lian (head of the Norwegian Film Institute), Henning Camre (head of the Danish Film Institute) and Peter Hald (deputy director of the Swedish Film Institute).

Based on comparisons with existing film support systems in Denmark, Sweden and France, the report has recommended the regrouping of all government institutions (the Norwegian Film Institute, the Norwegian Film Fund, the Norwegian Film Development) into one major film body and to clarify the areas of responsibility of other institutions, such as the Norwegian Film School, the National Library and Film & Kino (the association representing the interests of Norwegian municipalities in cinema operations and film and video issues).

Other key proposals include:

– the development of regional film funds and film commissions,
– the strengthening of Norwegian film exports with the introduction of P&A support (soft loans) to foreign distributors of Norwegian films,
– the ratification of the European Convention on Co-Production of Cinematographic Works,
– higher financial commitment from local broadcasters to film production (including an annual investment of NOK40m from NRK and NOK 30m from TV2).

The government will use the committee’s report to write its White Paper on film, which will be presented during the Parliament’s spring session of 2007.