Norwegian drama in London: Straight from the Heart

The C21 Drama Summit is one of the largest gatherings for the international drama-series business, and this year the NFI is happy to host a one hour Norwegian Panel Talk presented by Walter Iuzzolino, famous for his show Walter presents at British Channel 4.

Content London features an unrivalled conference program with over 200 speakers across more than 50 sessions. From commissioners, producers, financiers, technologists, agents, writers, and other key players in the value chain, we aim to deliver the most compelling line-up to ensure delegates stay on top of trends that shape the business. This year the International Drama Summit takes place on November 27/28/29.

NRKs drama executive Ivar Køhn will start off welcoming the session, Norwegian Drama - Straight from the Heart, and we will introduce some of the most exciting new Norwegian drama series and the people behind them. This in a time where Norwegian Drama is in its haydays.

The time and place to be is Tuesday November 27, in Kings Place Hall 2, from 1.30 to 2.30 PM.

Straight from the Heart

Over the years Norwegian drama series have won international awards, and there is an ongoing line-up of strong drama series to watch out for. Beyond Nordic Noir, Norwegian series creators have managed to diversify their content in ways that engage large audiences.

In this debate we try to find the recipe, where Walter Iuzzolino will present and interview the people behind eight brand new Norwegian series. The debate will be divided in two different series, the first focusing on already finished and aeries in production, the second session will focus on talent and how NFI work with talents. This part will discuss four series in development.

These people/series will participate:

1.30-2 PM

Ivar Køhn, Head of Drama NRK, welcomes 

Walter Iuzzolino presents:

Synnøve Hørsdal (Maipo), producer of the series State of Happiness, now showing at the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK. It tells the story of Western prosperity, a changing nation, a Klondike town, and four young people who are thrown into a whirlwind of opportunites.

Vilje Katrine Hagen (Motlys), producer of Home Ground, Helena Mikkelsen's struggle to make it as Europe's first female coach for a men's team in the National Premier league in Norway. Season two is in production now, season one was a huge success on NRK this spring.

Anne Bjørnstad (Rubicon), writer and creator of Beforeigners, a series in the making. It is a satirical sci-fi where people from the past mysteriously reappears. These “beforeigners" come from three separate time periods: The Stone Age, the Viking era and late 19th century. The series is made for HBO.

Cecilie Mosli (Anagram), director (and actor) of Kieler Street, where the former criminal Jonas has started a new life and lives in Scandinavia's least criminal neighborhood. He has it all: a happy family, a great job, a peaceful existence. But the facade starts falling apart when Jonas realizes that several other inhabitants are former criminals.

2-2.30 PM Talent in focus

Kathrine Valen Zeiner (Tordenfilm), creator/writer of the series in development - Hand Made. The series  is about 40 year old Elin, who owns and runs the fertility clinic Bien together with her ex-husband, CC, whom she divorced because he didn’t want to have children. Now Elin and her new husband are struggling to have children.

Jacob Rørvik (Maipo), director of Dates in Real Life, a series in development about Ida, who has lived her whole social life through a screen, and now is losing her internet-boyfriend because he has started dating «in real life».  She decides to make a profile on a dating-app, for the first time to meet a potential partner in real life herself.

Marianne Furevold (NRK) talks about talent strategies in NRK, with examples from the two new series 17 and Lovleg (legal).

17 is a series for teenagers about teenagers living in a suburb with high immigration, where we follow Abdi, who has his life turned upside down in 17 days - and episodes.

Lovleg is an internet series where we follow Gunnhild when she moves from home for the first time to start upper secondary school.

Ståle Stein Berg, film and drama commissioner from Norwegian Film Institute, will present the institute’s talent program New Ways Norway (Nye veier).

NFI welcomes all visitors at C21 Drama Summit to join us at Straight from the Heart - a great opportunity to watch and learn more about Norwegian drama.

C21 International Drama Awards - Norwegian finalists

During the summit there is also held the C21’s International Drama Awards, in 13 categories, judged by over 100 of the world’s leading drama commissioners. Today, November 7 the finalists were announced - and there are three - or three and a half if you count SKAM Austin, the American remake of the Norwegian hit-series SKAM. These are the nominees:

Home Ground (Heimebane) from Motlys is nominated for Best non-English language drama (series).

Oslo Zoo (NRK) and SKAM Austin, the American remake of NRK's hit-series SKAM, created by Julie Andem, are both nominated for Best digital short-form drama series.

Norsemen (Vikingane) from Viafilm is nominated for Best returning comedy-drama series. 

The winners will be announced Wednesday 28 November at C21.

The categories are:

Best returning comedy-drama series
Best comedy-drama (series)
Best male performance in a drama series
Best female performance in a drama series
Best casting of a drama series
Best digital short-form drama series
Best mini series

Best TV Movie
Best returning drama series
Best non-English language drama (series)
Best English language drama (series)

Drama Quarterly craft/showrunner award C21 editor’s choice award.

Watch trailers from all the finalists