Denmark
Danish Film Institute | Cine-Regio |
FilmFyn A/S | Recent films |
West Denmark Film Fund |
Introduction
Population: 5,574,000
Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
DKK1 = €0.134; €1 = DKK7.5
Films produced (2012): 16
Co-productions (2012): 9
The smallest of the mainland Nordic countries, Denmark consists of Jutland (Jylland), a peninsular which shares a border with the German province of Schleswig-Holstein, and a series of islands, on the largest of which, Zealand (Sjælland), lies the capital, Copenhagen (København). The Faroe Islands and Greenland are Danish dependencies.
Most film production activity is focused on or passes through the Danish Film Institute, which has an admirable record of supporting production and distribution. Some of the regions also have small amounts of funding available and a Copenhagen Film Fund is due to be launched in 2013.
In distribution terms, Denmark is home to the world's oldest film company, Nordisk. But, because of its limited population, the country is a relatively small market for arthouse films: the average number of films released annually is just over 200, with English-language films accounting for around 60% of the total and local product an average of 15%, leaving limited room for others.
Danish Film Institute/Det Danske Filminstitut
Address: Gothersgade 55, 1123 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tel: (45) 33 74 34 00
Fax: (45) 33 74 34 01
e-mail:
www.dfi.dk
Contributing bodies: Danish Government
Principal executives: Henrik Bo Nielsen, ceo; Claus Ladegaard, head of production & development; Steffen Andersen-Møller, head of audience & promotion; Lene Halvor Petersen, head of archive & cinematheque; Jakob Buhl Vestergaard, head of administration
Other staff members: Claus Noer Hjort, senior adviser; Susanna Neimann, head of communication & press
Brief outline of activities
Set up in 1997, the Danish Film Institute is one of Europe's most thoroughly structured film organisations, helping Danish films grab a substantial share of the domestic audience as well as a good export record.
The DFI consists of four departments: production & development; distribution & marketing; archive & cinematheque; and administration. Like other Nordic institutes, its mission is to provide financial support and encouragement for film and audiovisual culture by participating in the development and production of feature films, documentaries and shorts.
25% of all subsidy funds is earmarked in the first instance for films for children and young people. Apart from that, the breakdown is as follows: 42% of the overall budget goes on feature films; 14% on documentaries and shorts; 8% on talent development; 8% on video games; and 10% into the Public Service Television Fund.
The DFI also supports: distribution; marketing; the aforementioned film archive and the (in-house) Danish Cinematheque; a research library and the national stills & poster archive; educational initiatives such as teaching guides and school cinema programmes; and is a contributor to the Oslo-based Nordic Film & TV Fund.
The agreement under which the DFI operates was renewed – after in-depth scrutiny - in October 2010 for four years, with over DKK2 billion (€268 million) allocated to film support, and an extra DKK100 million (€13.4 million) coming from the radio and TV license fee pool. The key criteria for the four-year period were enhanced flexibility within the DFI, particularly with regard to digital developments and market trends; more emphasis on documentaries; support for the digitisation of Denmark's cinemas; and computer game support.
There are various routes to funding: the Film Commissioner Scheme, for less commercial films; a new market-driven scheme (replacing the old 60/40 Scheme) for films with broad-audience potential; the DFI Film Workshop with its focus on experimental and artists’ film; and support for new talent under the New Danish Screen scheme.
The latter, founded in 2003 as a partnership between the DFI, Danish broadcasters DR and TV2, has a budget of DKK112 million (€15 million) for the period 2011-14 with the aim of encouraging new talent and artistic risk-takers in the fields of fiction and documentary shorts and features.
The criteria in all categories are a mixture of Danish involvement and content, but the emphasis throughout is on the quality of the material rather than on a points system.
For script support, applications can come from a writer, a director, a production company, or any combination of the three. Applications for project development must have all major elements in place; will be assessed by the DFI; and, in the case of the Market Scheme, also be assessed by three outside advisers.
Production subsidies come in two forms: majority and minority. The former requires extensive documentation (very clearly laid out on the DFI website) and a detailed budget. If successful, the project will receive either a Letter of Commitment or a non-binding Letter of Interest setting conditions to be met before funding can begin to be drawn down.
For minority co-productions, the conditions are much the same. A creative assessment of the project will be made; Danish theatrical and TV distribution must be in place; and details of ongoing relationships with foreign production companies are particularly welcome, placing the emphasis on continuing co-operation rather than a single project.
The cap is set at between five and nine minority co-productions a year, including two for children and young people; and the amount allocated will be between DKK1-3 million (€134,000-400,000, to a maximum of 60% of the Danish production costs).
Payment is made in instalments and repayment terms are extremely generous, beginning once the distributor's minimum guarantee has been paid, and any private investment has been recouped and yielded a 50% return. There is also provision for the funding of short fiction films and documentaries along lines essentially similar to those outlined above.
FilmFyn A/S
Address: Østergade 17 st, 5600 Faaborg, Denmark
Tel: (45) 62 61 17 62
Fax: (45) 62 61 27 62
Email:
www.filmfyn.dk
Chief executive: Bo Damgaard, managing director
Other key staff: Julie Lindegaard, film commissioner/business development; Birgit Rützou, head of economic affairs
Brief outline of activities
Inspired by other regional film funds like Film i Väst in Sweden, FilmFyn is a non-profit organisation designed to encourage the production of film, television and multimedia material in the South Funen (Fyn) region of Southern Denmark. It has an annual budget of around €1.5 million, €1 million of which is earmarked for production investment, which can be in either a Danish or an international film. To date, support has been provided for 40 feature films.
FilmFyn can invest up to 50% in an incoming production. The organisation also acts as a film commission, providing crewing contacts and location information to those wishing to shoot in South Funen, a large island almost entirely surrounded by other parts of Denmark, of which Odense is the main town. The region contains one studio, with two 700-square-metre sound stages.
Den Vestdanske Filmpulje/West Denmark Film Fund
Address: Filmbyen 23, 1. sal, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
Tel/Fax: (45) 89 40 48 82
Email:
www.filmpuljen.dk
Contributing bodies: The Communes of Hjørring, Frederikshavn, Holstebro, Viborg, Vejle and Århus
Chief executive: Carsten Holst, managing director
Other staff: Steen Risom, consultant
Brief outline of activities
The Vestdanske Filmpulje (West Denmark Film Fund) is administered by the Commune of Århus, Denmark’s second city, with support from four other neighbouring Communes. Its aim is to encourage the production of film, television and multimedia projects in the region; to encourage the production of artistically interesting films; and to encourage initiatives of benefit to the local audiovisual industry.
It has an annual budget of some DKK4.2 million (€560,000), putting anything up to DKK1 million (€134,000) into locally based features, shorts and documentaries. Script development is included in its activities.
The Vestdanske Filmpulje is currently the host organisation for Cine-Regio (qv).
Cine-Regio
Address: Filmbyen 23, 1, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
Tel: (45) 87 13 25 04
Email:
www.cineregio.org
Chairman: Phiippe Raynært, Wallimage (Belgium)
Board members: Katarina Krave, Film i Väst (Sweden); Manfred Schmidt, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (Germany); Carsten Holst, Den Vestdanske Filmpulje (Denmark); Alessandro Groppiero, Fondo Audiovisio FVG (Italy); Grégory Faes, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma (France)
Secretary general: Charlotte Appelgren
Member organisations: Agencia Andaluza de Instituciones Cuturales (Spain), BLS Südtirol-Alto Adige (Austria), CICLIC (France), Cinéforom – Fondation Romande pour le Cinéma (Switzerland), CCRAV - Région Nord-Pas de Calais (France), Departmento de Cultura/Eusko Jaurlaritza, Gobierno Vasco (Spain), Film Agency for Wales (UK), Filmfondet Fuzz (Norway), Film i Skåne (Sweden), Film i Väst (Sweden), Film London (UK), Film3 (Norway), Filmcamp (Norway), Filmfonds Wien (Austria), FilmFyn (Denmark), Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), Filmkraft Rogaland (Norway), Filmpool Nord (Sweden), Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen (Sweden), Film Investimenti Piemonte (Italy), Fondazione Apulia Film Commission & Fund (Italy), Fondo Audiovisio FVG (Italy), Île-de-France (France), Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (Spain), Krakow Regional Film Fund (Poland), MFG Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Midtnorsk Filmfonds (Norway) Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (Germany), PACA - Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (France), POEM (Finland), Région Acquitaine (France), Région Île-de-France (France), Rhône-Alpes Cinéma (France), Riga Film Fund (Latvia), Sardegnia Film Founcation (France), Screen South (UK), Silesia Filmd Fund (Poland), Trentino Film Commission (Italy), Den Vestdanske Filmpulje (Denmark), Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (Belgium), Wallimage (Belgium), Zürcher Filmstiftung (Switzerland)
Brief outline of activities
Founded as a non-profit association in 2005 and based since January 2010 at Danish regional funder the Vestdanske Filmpulje (West Denmark Film Fund) in Århus, Cine-Regio is a constantly expanding network of 41 regional film funds from 14 states (12 EU members plus Norway and Switzerland). The organisation has no film-support funds of its own.
Cine-Regio's aims are to share knowledge and information on funding and technical matters; to promote and lobby decision-making organisations in the countries where its representatives are based; to organise meetings and conferences; and to promote co-production.
Cine-Regio's website includes a number of detailed co-production case studies and a list of 'networking partners' designed to encourage cross-border co-operation.