Ti norske filmprodusentar har fått til saman 5.425.000 kroner i tilskot til samproduksjon med produsentar i andre land gjennom Sørfond-ordninga 2024. Årets tilskot går til produksjonar frå El Salvador, Cuba, Colombia, India, Marokko, Jordan, Iran, Nepal, Vestbredden og Gaza, samt Tyrkia.
Ti produksjonar har denne veka fått tilskot frå Sørfond. Juryen har valt ut to dokumentarfilmar, ein hybrid og sju spelefilmar som får tilskot på totalt 5.425.000 kroner.
Norsk filminstitutt mottok i år 33 søknadar til Sørfond, med eit totalt søknadsbeløp på ca 24 millionar kroner. For søknadsrunden 2024 har Sørfond hatt eit budsjett på over fem millioner kroner. Sidan oppstarten i 2011 har Sørfond gitt tilskot til 97 produksjonar, inkludert årets tilskot.
Sørfond vart etablert for å fremja produksjon av film i land der filmproduksjonen er avgrensa av politiske, sosiale eller økonomiske årsaker. Kvalifiserte land er bestemt av DAC-lista, som er utviklingskomitéen til OECD si liste over land som kan få bistand.
Sørfond gir tilskot til spelefilm eller dokumentarfilm produsert av hovudprodusent i DAC-land og norsk minoritetsprodusent. Regissøren må vera statsborgar av, eller vera busett i, eit land på DAC- lista. Filmen må i hovudsak spelast inn i land som står oppført på denne lista.
Sørfond er finansiert over bistandsbudsjettet i Utenriksdepartementet, og blir forvalta av Norsk filminstitutt, i samarbeid med Stiftelsen Festivalkontoret.
Sørfond jury 2024. Frå venstre Mads Wølner Voss, Sophie Bourdon (Frankrike), Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya).
Årets Sørfond-jury bestod av Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya) filmskapar, Sophie Bourdon (Frankrike), filmkonsulent og produsent, og Mads Wølner Voss som er prosjektleiar i Sørfond.
"Vi hadde den ærefulle og vanskelege oppgåva med å lese og vurdere fleire prosjekt av talentfulle filmskaparar frå heile verda. Denne oppgåva har introdusert oss til nye historier, perspektiv og visjonar frå debutantar og etablerte filmskaparar. Denne reisa har vore eit privilegium.
Juryen var sterkt imponert av kvaliteten på søkjarane og søknadane, som inkluderte historier som alle fortente merksemd. Å ta den endelege avgjerda blant eit så stort utval av fantastiske prosjekt var ei vanskeleg oppgåve.
Vår endelege utval av ti prosjekt inkluderer to dokumentarfilmar, ein dokumentar/spelfilm-hybrid og sju spelefilmar. Utvalet representerer ein variasjon i form og innhald og overtydde juryen med sine sterke konsept og gripande karakterar og tema. Årets utval representerer eit stort geografisk spenn, med prosjekt frå Palestina, El Salvador, Cuba, Colombia, India, Marokko, Jordan, Iran, Nepal og Tyrkia.
I eit klima der ytringsfridomen er under press over heile verda, anerkjenner juryen viktigheita av å løfte fram desse prosjekta som på ulike måtar vil bidra til Sørfond sine overordna mål: å styrkje ytringsfridomen og menneskerettane, styrkje filmen som eit kulturelt uttrykk og fremje kunstnarleg fridom og kulturelt mangfald"
Yemen and Jordan | Director: Sara Ishaq. Producer: Nadia Eliewat. Norwegian co-producer: Ingrid Lill Høgtun, Barentsfilm AS. | Fiction
Synopsis: In a women's-only petrol station in Yemen, the bond between three siblings is put to the test when war forces them to make impossible decisions.
Jury Statement: The Station is a powerful narrative that unfolds in a women-only petrol station in a gender-segregated, war-torn village in Yemen. The jury was particularly captivated by the beautifully portrayed characters and the script's ability to blend humor and seriousness while exploring the central theme of a family shattered by war. The film also offers a distinct perspective on the daily lives of women in Yemen, their relationships, interactions, and behaviors, in spaces devoid of men.
Support: NOK 700 000.
Country: Iran
Genre: Documentary
Director: Hamed Zolfaghari
Norwegian co-producer: Verona Meier, Storm Films
Producer: Hamed Zolfaghari
Support: NOK 550 000
Synopsis:
Valiollah and Dorna are preparing for their last migration to the summer grazelands in a situation where their sons refuse nomadic life and the migration through Shiraz city has become so dangerous...
Jury Statement:
Hamed Zolfaghari’s observational documentary will portray the lives of a minority community in Iran, the nomadic Qashqaies. The jury was impressed with the footage already captured, which, through subtle and intelligent cinematic language, highlights a lifestyle and culture under threat due to external pressure from the Iranian government and the generational divide within the family it portrays.
Country: El Salvador
Genre: Fiction
Director: Leslie Ortiz
Norwegian co-producer: Ellen Ugelstad, TwentyOne Pictures
Producer: Adriana Morán
Support: NOK 500 000
Synopsis:
Liz lives a life she never wanted, treading a path that was paved for her after an unwanted pregnancy at the age of 16. Since then, her life was no longer her own and she has gone through life at the mercy of others. One day Liz finds herself at the local theater and it awaken something in her that sets her on a path of breaking free from the cage of her everyday life.
Jury Statement:
In Libertinas,director Leslie Ortiz sets out to demystify the idealization of the maternal figure in a drama with fantastical elements set in El Salvador. The jury was impressed with how the script manages to do this. At the same time, it balances the supernatural elements in a brave and important film with a particular focus on women’s freedom and rights in the country, both through its story and reflected in the filmmaking team.
Country: Morocco
Genre: Fiction
Director: Alaa Eddine Aljem
Norwegian co-producer: Linda Bolstad Strønen, Duofilm
Producer: Francesca Duca
Support: NOK 600 000
Synopsis:
A group of migrants are looking to reach Eldorado, a secret utopian island where everyone lives in peace. They eventually arrive in a tomato sauce factory of the same name.
Jury Statement:
Eldorado, the Taste of the South tells an absurdist story of migrants arriving in the mythical land of Eldorado, where citizenship can only be obtained through a year’s work for a tomato sauce factory. The jury found the balance of humour and realism in the script impressively handled, creating a satirical and important story with a piercing commentary on systematic injustice and labour exploitation of migrants.
Country: West bank and Gaza
Genre: Fiction
Director: Annemarie Jacir
Norwegian co-producer: Elisa Fernanda Pirir Ruiz, Stær Films
Producer: Ossama Bawardi
Support: NOK 500 000
Synopsis:
Palestine under the British Mandate. The backdrop is a shifting world that will lead to the start of World War II. Our story is told over four years 1935 – 38, though not always chronologically. Our characters are fictional, but the historic reference factual.
Jury Statement:
All Before You subtly immerses the viewer in the pivotal period of Palestinian history, the mid-1930s, when everything is shifting. The Jury was particularly won over by the captivating storytelling and the female director's highly personal, contemporary approach to this traumatic page from the past. With great empathy for her well-portrayed characters, she transforms a historical film about the disintegration of a country and the start of a war into the vibrant story of a people whose thirst for freedom remains intact today. It's a major film whose relevance resonates fiercely with our times.
Country: Nepal
Genre: Fiction
Director: Abinash Bikram Shah
Norwegian co-producer: Verona Meier, Storm Films
Producer: Anup Poudel
Support: NOK 600 000
Synopsis:
In a small Nepalese village nestled in the heart of a forest populated by wild elephants, Pirati is the matriarch of a community of transgender women. She aspires to a «normal» life with Master, the mustachioed man she is in love with. But when one of her «daughters» disappears, she must choose between love and responsibility to her community.
Jury Statement:
Set nowadays in the Kinnar community in Southern Nepal, Elephants in the Fog delicately explores the functioning of Nepalese patriarchal society and the hardships faced by gender minorities. The jury was seduced by this captivating drama written by a first-time director, driven by engaging female characters, as much by its compelling personal vision. This film is a universal invitation to reflect on the mechanisms of marginalisation, discrimination and violence.
Country: Cuba
Genre: Hybrid
Director: Alejandro Alonso
Norwegian co-producer: Anita Norfolk, Folk Film
Producer: Daniela Muñoz Barroso
Support: NOK 450 000
Synopsis:
Pitufo, a young Cuban shipbreaker, dreams of escaping the remote bay where he spends his days between metal and fire. In search of his freedom, he embarks on a labyrinthine journey to the swamps of Southwest Florida. An uncanny territory where he must face his deepest fears.
The Star portrays the emigration process in depth, exploring how space, dreams and desires define a journey full of uncertainties.
Jury Statement:
The Star offers the Cuban perspective on the country's biggest exodus taking place in the last two years, with more than 450,000 Cubans reaching American shores. The Jury was impressed by the singular formal approach of this first-time director, which oscillates between documentary and fiction, and so poignantly reflects the transformation of this country as well as the feeling of drift and loss that most Cuban migrants experience.
Country: Turkey
Genre: Documentary
Director: confidential information
Norwegian co-producer: Sarah Winge-Sørensen, Stray Dogs
Support: NOK 450 000
Jury Statement:
Through a refreshing and deeply personal lens, Dear Friend delves into the complexities of supporting a friend through a crisis, while navigating an untrustworthy justice system. As it grapples with the ambiguity of truth and justice, the documentary also sheds light on the challenges faced by family and friends of those in crisis, and showcases the unwavering determination and radical hope necessary to navigate through insurmountable odds and a powerful, dominating administration.
Country: India
Genre: Fiction
Director: Megha Ramaswamy
Norwegian co-producer: Gudny Hummelvoll, Hummelfilm
Producer: Gaurav Dhingra, Jungle Book Content Studio P
Support: NOK 600 000
Synopsis:
Reshma, 9, works as a sorter in an illegal mica mine. Following the death of her mother in a mining accident, she is betrothed to the mine owner’s son, Beenu, 10, while also being deemed ill-fated by the village elder owing to a stubborn dogtooth rooted in her upper jaw. Going by their age-old custom to ward off evil luck such as hers, the villagers ready Shera, an ensnared pariah dog as the groom to marry a confused and disheartened Reshma, before she can marry her future husband.
Jury Statement:
Megha Ramaswamy artfully interlaces the innocence of childhood, the harshness of labor in a mine, and the whimsical excitement of bonding with one's first pet. Set against a backdrop of stark contradictions, she delves into the realm of absurdist dark humor to showcase humanity's enduring strength in the face of adversity, while also exploring its unyielding quest for hope amidst tumultuous circumstances.
Country: Colombia
Genre: Fiction
Director: Tomás Corredor
Norwegian co-producer: Eric Vogel, Tordenfilm
Producer: Diana Bustamante Escobar
Support: NOK 475 000
Synopsis:
In November of 1985, the M-19 guerrillas took over the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia. Their plan to take the Supreme Court hostage and prosecute the President soon unraveled as the army responded. In the chaos, a small group found themselves trapped in a bathroom with other civilians seeking refuge. For close to 27 hours, they endured the brutal crossfire between their captors and the state armed forces - a situation they had not chosen to be a part of.
Jury Statement:
The enthralling political thriller, Noviembre, takes place entirely in a cramped bathroom. With a bold and ambitious premise, the film immerses us in a historical drama as its characters struggle to survive while trapped in such a confined space. As the threat of death looms just outside their walls, the unlikely comrades demonstrate unwavering compassion and camaraderie, making for a riveting and emotional story, and an unforgettable experience.
Girls Will Be Girls (Regi: Schuchi Talati, Land: India): Premiere på Sundance i 2024, vann Audience Award i World Cinema Dramatic-seksjonen og World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting.
The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder (Regi: Inadelso Cossa Land: Mosambik): Premiere på Berlinalen i 2024.
Cu Li Never Cries (Regi: Pham Ngoc Lan, Land: Vietnam): Premiere på Berlinalen i 2024, vann GWFF Best First Feature Award.
Who Do I Belong To (Regi: Meryam Joobeur, Land: Tunisia): Premiere på Berlinalen i 2024.
Shambhala (Regi: Min Bahadur Bham, Land: Nepal): Premiere på Berlinalen i 2024.
Everybody Loves Touda (Regi Nabil Ayouch, Land: Marokko): Premiere på filmfestivalen i Cannes i 2024.
Kings of the World (Regi: Laura Mora Ortega, Land: Colombia): Premiere på San Sebastian. Vann Golden Seashell Best Film, San Sebastian Film Festival 2022
Quo Vadis, Aida? (Regi: Jasmila Zbanic, Land: Bosnia-Hercegovina): Verdspremiere på filmfestivalen i Venezia i 2020. Vann Dragon Award, Gøteborg Film Festival 2021. Filmen har vunnet fleire titalls andre prisar rundt om i verda, og var Oscarnominert for Beste fremmedspråklige film.
Florionapolis Dream (Regi: Ana Katz, Land: Argentina): Premiere på Karlovy Vary i 2018, vann Special Prize of the Jury, Karlovy Vary.
The Heiresses (Regi: Marcelo Martinessi, Land: Paraguay): Premiere på Berlinalen i 2018 vann Silver Bear Best Actress.
Writing with Fire (Regi: Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh, Land: India): Premiere på Sundance i 2021, vann publikumsprisen i World Cinema Documentary Competition og Special Jury Award for Impact for Change. Filmen vart også Oscarnominert til beste dokumentar.
Rafiki (Regi: Wanuri Kahiu, Land: Kenya): Premiere i Un certain regard i Cannes i 2018.
Cemetery of Splendor (Regi: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Land: Thailand): Premiere i Un certain regard i Cannes i 2015.
Produksjonsrådgiver
