Bokmål Nynorsk

International distribution

This scheme is designed to stimulate increased exports of Norwegian films by providing grants for the marketing and distribution of Norwegian films abroad. Grants are paid to the foreign distributor via the film’s Norwegian producer. This scheme is a continuation of a pilot project from 2022, and grant funds will be available throughout 2024.

Who may apply

The application must be submitted by the Norwegian production company that is the main producer of the film.
The Norwegian production company will also be the grant recipient.
The main producer must have, or be able to acquire, the necessary rights in accordance with section 3-3 of the Regulation on aid to audiovisual works.
The application must be completed in collaboration with the foreign distributor, who prepares the budget, marketing plan and other documentation.

What you may apply for

You may apply for a grant for the international distribution of the film. Costs must be clearly specified in the application. Costs that may be covered are:

DCP and promotional materials.
Marketing campaigns.
Versioning and dubbing.
The distributor’s work with the relevant release can amount to up to 10 per cent of the budget.

You may apply for a grant for releasing the film in individual countries or territories abroad. The term territory means that the film is sold for distribution in a number of countries, such as the Nordic countries or the German-speaking part of Europe.

The grant may not be used to cover costs for the acquisition of rights/minimum guarantees (MG).

Terms and conditions for the grant

A complete application must be submitted prior to the film’s première in the relevant country/territory.
The film must qualify as a cultural product in accordance with section 1-4 of the Norwegian regulations on support for audiovisual production.
The film must be a feature film or a documentary with a duration of more than 60 minutes.
The film must be released in cinemas in the relevant country/territory. The film may also be released on other platforms, and expenses for this can be included in the budget.
The film is considered to be in its primary release phase, in the period of one year before the film’s international première to two years after the film´s international première.
If the film has not yet had an international première, the primary release phase is considered to be one year before the Norwegian première to two years after the Norwegian première.
The minimum guarantee, or the first payment must be paid out at the time of application.
The distributor must be a company whose main focus is the distribution of films.
The distributor must document the distribution rights in the relevant country/territory.
The Norwegian Film Institute must be credited on the promotional material when the film is released in the relevant country/territory.

Assessment of the applications

NFI performs a comprehensive and discretionary assessment of the applications, considering the merits of all applications against each other. The assessment will be based on the release and marketing plan, budget estimates and the film itself. The following factors will affect the assessment:

Grants under the scheme are primarily reserved for cinema releases.
Estimated sales and audience potential.
That the release plan provides a good account of how the film will reach its intended target group(s).
Whether the release plan contains measures beyond normal activities related to the release.
That budget estimates are realistic.
That the distributor has the necessary professional expertise to carry out the release.'

More information about the scheme

Grants from this scheme are intended to help boost exports of Norwegian films through increased international sales and distribution, and generate extra revenue for the film’s producer. The scheme will also strengthen the international audience and market position for Norwegian films.
The maximum grant per film per country/territory is NOK 250,000. The total grant for one film in all countries/territories is maximum NOK 600,000.
The minimum application amount is NOK 50,000.
The grant may not exceed 50 % of the distributor’s approved budget. When calculating the distributor’s approved budget, funding from other grants may not be included as the distributor’s own contribution, such as local import funding or grants from Creative Europe.
The application must be submitted through NFI’s application portal and must contain:
- Marketing plan and budget from the local distributor
- The distribution agreement between sales agent/producer and the distributor.
- The local distribution company’s certificate of registration.
- A list of films released by the distributor over the last two years, including the release platform and results admissions and/or box-office.
- Documentation that the minimum guarantee, or the first payment, has been paid out.
The detailed requirements for the application may be found in the application portal.
Marketing plan and budget from the local distributor
The distributor’s evaluation of the release and campaign
Prioritization and weighting of the application
We make a comprehensive and discretionary assessment of applications against each other. We base our assessment on the release and marketing plan, budget estimates and the film itself. The following factors will affect our assessments:
- That grants under the scheme are primarily reserved for cinema releases.
- Estimated sales and audience potential.
- That the release plan provides a good account of how the film will reach its intended target group(s).
- Whether the release plan contains measures beyond normal activities related to the release.
- That budget estimates are realistic.
- That the distributor has the necessary professional expertise to carry out the release.
The grant will be paid to the film’s Norwegian producer after submission of a payment request. The production company will pay the grant to the local distribution company in order for the company to distribute the Norwegian film.

The final report must be delivered six months after the film’s première. The grant recipient must submit the following documents:
- The distributor’s evaluation of the release and campaign.
- Financial statements that account for the use of the grant from the distributor (use the template above)
- Special certification from an auditor for grants in total over NOK 200.000 (for producer).

Contacts

Hanne Merethe Okstad

International Promotion Adviser

+47 917 26 414 [email protected]