Yesterday, the Norwegian government granted an additional 65 million Norwegian crowns (approx. €6.5 million) to back films and TV series as part of a stimulus package to support the country’s cultural industries hit by the current healthcare crisis.

Consequently, the Norwegian Film Institute has reintroduced and enhanced two of its previous schemes, namely “Production 2” and “Corona-related production guarantee.” Both will help producers to finalise their projects, despite the restrictions and the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Commenting on the initiative, Kjersti Mo, CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute, said: “We are very pleased that the Minister of Culture sees the importance of supporting Norwegian film and series production, which has experienced changed conditions and uncertainty owing to the pandemic. These measures will be a good stimulus to maintain a high level of activity in the film field, and thus ensure that we can continue to create and show good Norwegian stories to the public at home and abroad in the coming years.”

“Many in the Norwegian film industry are worried that the pandemic will lead to delays and disruptions in film productions. Halting ongoing productions can lead to irreparable financial loss and loss of jobs. The support for film productions will help to counteract this,” added Anette Trettebergstuen, Norway’s Minister of Culture and Equality.

"Production 2" was first introduced in May 2020 to keep the audiovisual sector up and running. The scheme applies to all formats – shorts, fiction features, documentaries and drama series. It is set to ensure that films reach their market faster, also via theatrical distribution, and it applies to projects that have already received production subsidies from the NFI or other regional film bodies, as well as productions that have received pre-approved post-grant from the NFI.

Over the last two years, several Norwegian productions have had to postpone filming owing to infected or quarantined crew members, without being able to make up for their financial losses through insurance. The new scheme is set to replace the old “Guarantee 2.” “As it is still impossible for Norwegian films and series to buy insurance against extra costs in the event of halting filming owing to COVID-19, we’ve chosen to reintroduce the 'corona-related production guarantee.' This scheme will give producers the financial security they need to kick off new productions, even though the corona situation is still unclear. The scheme dates back to 1 January 2022, as there has been no scheme in place from the start of the new year. We hope that productions can go ahead as planned and that we do not have to distribute these funds, but we are prepared to do so,” explained Mo.

In the previous wave of the pandemic, some Norwegian productions had to halt filming for long periods since key members were stuck abroad and unable to enter Norway. The new guarantee scheme would be able to cover similar circumstances, should they arise again.