International distribution

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 in its primary release phase

  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 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:

• 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 NFI may prioritize grants for audiovisual works with a cinema release in the relevant country / territory. However, expenses for the release on additional platforms may be included the budget.
• The NFI may prioritize grants for feature or documentary films with a duration of more than 60 minutes.
• The NFI may prioritize applications where the minimum guarantee, or the first payment has been paid out at the time of application.

More information about the scheme