“State of Happiness,” “The Flatey Enigma” and “The Inner Circle” are among the six Nordic drama series which will be presented at Goteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision and compete for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize.
Written by Mette M. Bølstad (“Nobel”), “State of Happiness” follows four young characters who come from different backgrounds and are thrown into a whirlwind of opportunity during Norway’s oil boom of the 1970s.
“The Flatey Enigma,” written by Margrét Örnólfsdóttir, is a mystery thriller series based on Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson’s novels. “The Inner Circle,” penned by Håkan Lindhé, is a political thriller about an ambitious young man belonging to the Swedish political elite on a journey to fulfill his life long dream and become Prime Minister of Sweden.
The other nominated series are “Kieler Street,” written by Stig Frode Henriksen, Jesper Sundnes and Patrik Syversen; “All the Sins,” written by Merja Aakko and Mika Ronkainen; “The New Nurses,” written by Claudia Boderke and Lars Mering.
Now in its third edition, the Nordic Drama Vision will showcase six series from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden; with a jury comprising Finnish actress Laura Birn (“The Innocents”), Swedish actor Alexander Karim (“The Lawyer”), Swedish/American journalist and TV and podcast producer Christina Jeurling Birro (“Pop Culture Confidential”) and British content consultant and producer Justin Judd.
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The winning series will be announced at the TV Drama Vision award ceremony on Jan. 30 and will receive a prize of NOK 200,000 (€20,000) from the Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
“The number of TV dramas commissioned in the Nordics is rising dramatically. The Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize aims to highlight the unique concepts of TV commissioning and to promote the outstanding writing talents in the Nordics,” said Petri Kemppinen, CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
“This year’s nominees illustrate the wide range of high quality dramas, many of which have already proven their ability to connect with local audiences, thanks to engaging stories, often deeply rooted in Nordic history and traditions,” added Kemppinen.
Cia Edström, head of TV Drama Vision at Göteborg Film Festival said the nominated series are “highlighting the wide range of stories and genres present in Scandinavian TV.”
“Screenwriters and their stories are the main reasons Nordic drama series keep flourishing,” pointed out Edström.
The 42nd Göteborg Film Festival will run Jan. 25 to Feb. 4.