The Norwegian International Film Festival’s industry platform, New Nordic Films, unveiled programming for its first French Focus initiative, designed to cultivate partnerships and co-productions between French and Nordic filmmakers. The event runs August 25-28 and is organized in collaboration with the Institut Francais de Norvège, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France’s National Center for Cinema, and Unifrance.
A centerpiece of the French Focus is a pitching session on August 26 featuring four French films in development. Two projects are produced by Les Valseurs, a production company recognized at Cannes with recent award wins. “Borderline,” produced by Damien Megherbi, expands upon Yves Piat’s Oscar and César-nominated short film “Nefta Football Club” into a feature-length work about a customs officer on the Algerian-Tunisian border. “All the Softness in the World” represents Turkish animator Ayçe Kartal’s feature debut, exploring fashion history through the story of a young man in 1950s Paris. The other two projects making the selection are directorial debuts: “Boutès,” a documentary co-directed by forensic pathologist Jeanne Géli and Olympic diver Loïs Szymczak, and “Temporary Lives,” a narrative film by Syrian-Norwegian filmmaker Wessam Hachicho examining the experience of a Syrian refugee teenager in Oslo.
Beyond the pitch session, the French Focus includes a panel discussion on co-production opportunities and a case study on “Ibelin,” directed by Morten Tyldum, known for the Oscar-winning “The Imitation Game.” The biopic centers on online gamer Mats Steen and features actors including Charlie Plummer, Stephen Graham, Toni Collette, and Bill Nighy.
Industry representatives highlighted mutual benefits for French and Nordic collaborations. Michel Plazanet, director of international affairs at the French National Center for Cinema, noted that Nordic countries offer access to robust funding institutions, diverse public and private financing, and experienced professionals in international co-production. Conversely, French partners provide distribution advantages, festival access, and entry to Europe’s largest theatrical market for arthouse cinema. Officials emphasized that increased European film collaboration reflects industry recognition of mutual creative and economic benefits across the continent.
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