FkN Activity Report 2008
English Executive Summary
Filmkontakt Nord (FkN) has since its establishment in 1991 by the independent Nordic short & documentary film community been dedicated to the advancement and promotion of Nordic short films and documentaries internationally.
The organization has four main objectives: information, marketing, networking and the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and know-how. During FkN's 18 years of activity, it has established itself as a unique central source of information and expertise, catering to the needs of the Nordic independent short film and documentary community and meeting the demands of the international marketplace.
FkN's main function is to serve as a common Nordic platform for a stronger production and distribution network within the Nordic countries and a visible united exposure internationally, joining a strong cultural profile with a driven and future-oriented industrial perspective. FkN's activities and projects in 2008 were made possible thanks to the following financial sources: Nordic Council of Ministers (DKK 1.509.690), the Nordic national film institutions and ministries (DKK 1.344.600), Producers' fees (DKK 510.198), MEDIA Promotion (DKK 385.000) and Nordic Film & TV Fund (NOK 200.000).
In January 2008 Karin Johansson-Mex replaced Karolina Lidin as the director of the organization together with the staffers, Katrine Kiilgaard (International, Promotion and Marketing), Heidi Elise Christensen (Administration, Web and Nordisk Forum), Jing Haase (Information and Film Coordination), Laura Kiralfy (Nordisk Forum Coordination) and Olof Marnung (Technique).
In 2008, FkN launched the new market platform, Nordisk Panorama Market Online. The market was launched right after the Nordisk Panorama Event 2008 and is now available to the more than 800 international, professional buyers, festivals and sales agents registered at Filmkontakt Nord. Nordisk Panorama Market Online presented over 300 films. It is built to enhance the visibility of the Nordic films at the international market and will be promoted through out the coming years at international film & TV markets and festivals.
Nordisk Panorama Market Online is an integrated part of the FkN website Nordic Portal that integrates a wide range of FkN's services by offering key-information on the Nordic short film and documentary sector, a.o. films, professionals and industry events.
The Nordic Portal www.filmkontakt.com has more than 4200 active users, and the frequency of sessions reaches over 30.000 sessions per month. The expansion of the Nordic Portal to include the FkN Contact Database and Nordisk Panorama Market Online has further increased the use of Nordic Portal to the Nordic and international film community.
During 2008, 275 new films were registered in the FkN Video Library and FkN Online Film Catalogue, which thus comprised a total of over 4100 Nordic short films and documentaries produced since 1991. The Online Film Catalogue provides key-information on all titles in the FkN Video Library in Copenhagen where preview copies of all films are available to visiting professionals.
FkN continued its marketing activities at MIP-TV/MIPDOC, where a total of 13 documentaries and children's films were marketed through email advertising, a special edition catalogue and individual meetings with international TV-buyers, resulting in 238 screenings and several requests for screening copies. In addition, 26 producers/filmmakers joined the Nordic Producers' Stand at Sunny Side of the Doc, hosted by FkN, who gave the producers individual consultancy before and during the event. The special marketing initiative for children's films launched in 2004 was continued at the international children's film festival/market Cinekid (Amsterdam), resulting in 75 screenings of Nordic children's films.
Special focus was given to animation and short film initiatives in 2008, resulting in the FkN Nordic Producers' Stand at MIFA animation market and the continuation of the successful initiative of Nordisk Short Film Circle, a one-day seminar for Nordic short film professionals during Nordisk Panorama Event focusing on films for the mobile phone.
Malmö City hosted the 19th edition of Nordisk Panorama Event, the traveling triptych event, comprising Festival, Market and Co-financing Forum. Nordisk Panorama Event is the main platform for short films and documentaries in the Nordic region, offering an annual business venue and showcase, spanning all professional focus areas from development and financing to distribution and exhibition. Nordisk Panorama 2008 attracted 771 professionals from 24 countries.
Nordisk Panorama - 5 Cities Film Festival presented 153 films, 74 of which were competing in the three competition programs for the Nordic Awards for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and New Nordic Voices. The film screenings and the substantial seminar program highlighted a.o. the Cross Media development as well as Kim Longinotto. Other special programs presented the British animator Phil Mulloy and took the temperature on the Nordic Art Film.
Nordisk Panorama Market offered a comprehensive overview of the year's production of short films and documentaries from the Nordic countries, all 275 displayed on a new digital platform fully appreciated by the attending 33 professionals - including TV-buyers, distributors and festival programmers who made effective use of the screening facilities with more than 900 screenings. New for this year was also the International Market Talks where 13 international commissioning editors, sales agents or distributors presented themselves and gave insights to the short and documentary community.
During the 15th Nordisk Forum for Co-financing of Documentaries, 24 projects were pitched to the 43 participating financiers. Nordisk Forum Online was offering a sneak preview of all projects with short trailers before the event. The special pitching category for newcomers, New Talent Pitch, was continued and again very well received. Nordisk Forum welcomed a total of 215 professionals from 18 countries. Based on the results of earlier years' Forums, there is reason to expect a turnover between financiers and producers of up to €850.000 with some 80% of the projects either finished or in production within the following year.
Focus areas for 2009 include the international marketing of FkN's new digital platform Nordisk Panorama Market Online. In 2009 over 700 of the latest Nordic films will be accessible globally at any time to the over 800 professional market representatives listed in the FkN database.
Finally, FkN continues the efforts to establish environmentally sustainable practices in the film industry, again this year undertaking a comprehensive analysis of CO2 emissions, formulating a plan for short- & long-term reduction, and offsetting unavoidable emissions.
For the detailed, unabridged version (Danish language), or earlier years' Activity Reports, see below or contact Jing Haase for printed versions.
Activity Report 2007
Activity Report 2006
Activity Report 2005
Activity Report 2004
Activity Report 2003
