Norway’s Golden Age of Cinema and TV

Film critics note that these new Norwegian films are distinctive, relationship-centred and critically acclaimed, often focusing on everyday life and local culture, even as they resonate with audiences worldwide.  As one Norwegian producer put it, “Norway is a big hub of talent,” with a wave of fresh filmmakers nurturing their own singular visual style rather than imitating imports.

State Support and Funding

Much of Norway’s film boom traces to strong institutional backing.  The government long ago made cinema a priority: the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) – a state agency under the Ministry of Culture – now handles roughly 670 million NOK (~£50 million) in funding per year.  This investment, sustained over many years, has allowed filmmakers to make projects that otherwise couldn’t be financed in a small market.  NFI CEO Kjersti Mo explains that this “long-term state investment” and the professionalization of Norway’s film industry (including working with international partners) have been key to success.

Norway also offers a 25% cash rebate to entice foreign shoots, further growing the industry.  In 2024 the government raised total film/TV/game support above NOK 1 billion per year – including upping the filming incentive fund to about NOK 130 m, with NOK 84 m earmarked for new projects.  This means international productions (from Mission: Impossible 7 to series by HBO or Amazon) often shoot in Norway, while local films keep crews and crews busy.  Four regional film funds (e.g. Oslo Film Fund, now publicly financed) also pump money into local indie projects.  Together, these layers of funding – national grants, Nordic co-production pools, and incentives – make Norway unusually well-supplied with resources for screen storytelling.

To make sure creative filmmakers benefit, the NFI attaches conditions to funding: projects must aim for theatrical release and creatives keep ownership of their work.  Mo stresses this is to “empower our creatives and producers so that they still have a choice” – in other words, to support artistry rather than let global streamers dictate everything.  Encouragingly, films chosen for their artistic merit tend to become hits at home too.  As Mo notes, Norwegian audiences are learning to be proud of their filmmakers, so that daring, locally grounded stories can succeed at the box office.

Film Schools and Talent Pipelines

Norway’s creative surge also owes much to its tuition-free film education.  The Norwegian Film School at Lillehammer (part of Inland Norway University) was founded in 1997 by an act of Parliament to provide a national film academy.  It now offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in filmmaking – all free of charge – with faculty drawn from active industry professionals.  Since its first class, the school has graduated over 350 filmmakers, many of whom are now working in Norwegian film and TV.  Educators emphasize hands-on “pen trial” exercises and mentorship, blending traditional craft with each student’s personal vision.  This steady flow of trained talent has created the “creative nerve” and skill at risk-taking that producers credit for recent breakthroughs.

Another key institution is the Nordland School of Arts and Film (Lofoten), an alternative “art school” for moving images.  There, students earn a BA in film with a critical, experimental focus – nurturing avant-garde voices that broaden Norway’s cinematic range.  (The existence of multiple free, state-backed film programs – from Lillehammer to Oslo to Tromsø – means filmmakers don’t have to look abroad for training, unlike in many smaller countries.)  As one industry insider observes, Norway has “a steady flow of talent emerging from free-of-charge film schools,” a foundation that few other industries enjoy.

Leading Production Companies and Producers

Several homegrown companies have ridden this wave by backing ambitious projects.  Motlys (based in Oslo) is a prime example: producers Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum have shepherded many award-winning films, including Haugerud’s Sex-Dreams-Love trilogy.  (That trilogy’s first film Sex won the 2024 Nordic Council Film Prize, and its latest part Dreams took Berlin’s top prize.)  Motlys also produces the political thriller series Power Play (Makta), which won the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for writing.  Maipo Film, another leading company (co-founded by producer Synnøve Hørsdal), is known for both art-house and larger series projects.  Hørsdal notes that recent budget increases (indexed to inflation) are a welcome but modest help – illustrating that producers are closely watching state support even as they gear up for bigger films.

Public broadcasters and new streaming players are also active.  Norway’s public TV (NRK) and commercial channel TV2 commission high-end dramas for Norwegian audiences, often with Nordic partners.  For example, NRK’s Skam (see below) was produced in-house, and series like So Long, Marianne and State of Happiness have multinational co-producers including Viaplay and HBO.  On the streaming side, platforms like Netflix and Amazon are partnering with Norwegians: Netflix revived Pernille, and Amazon is co-producing the upcoming series Rinnan.  Still, many creators insist on keeping stories local and nuanced; as producer Hvattum argues, global streamers sometimes push for generic content, so Norwegian filmmakers deliberately write from local perspectives to capture cultural nuances.

Breakthrough Films and Series

Norway’s new wave of cinema and TV has already generated numerous international hits. Key recent examples include:

• Dreams (Drømmer) – The final part of Haugerud’s trilogy, winner of the Golden Bear (Berlin 2025).
• Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi) – Joachim Trier’s latest feature, awarded the Grand Prix at Cannes 2025.
• The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske) – Trier’s 2021 dramedy, starring Renate Reinsve, which earned two Oscar nominations (Best International Film and Best Original Screenplay).  Reinsve is cited as “the face of this new wave,” praised for her intuitive, deeply human performances.
• Pernille (Pørni) – A single-parent family comedy-drama (created by Henriette Steenstrup) that became a hit on Viaplay and was picked up by Netflix for international distribution.
• Nepobaby – A TV2 series created by Steenstrup, in competition at Canneseries (2024).
• Skam – Though ending in 2017, this NRK teen drama about Oslo high-schoolers became a cult global phenomenon via social media, leading to remakes in several countries (including an upcoming U.S./Canada version).  NRK’s drama head notes that Skam showed how a very local series can be “embraced by the whole world” when it resonates on a human level.
• Requiem for Selina (Rekviem for Selina) – A historical drama that recently won a prize at the Series Mania festival.
• Power Play (Makta) – A political thriller series (by Motlys) gaining acclaim, as noted above.

These and other titles demonstrate the range of the boom – from intimate indie films to commercially savvy series.  As NFI’s Mo observes, the common thread is that Norwegian stories have strong local identity but also universal themes, which has proved powerful in festivals and on streaming platforms.  Even culturally specific dramas (like Pernille, which deals with Norwegian family life) have found international audiences precisely because they feel honest and relatable.

Nordic Collaboration and the Global Stage

Norway’s film renaissance has also been boosted by close ties with its Nordic neighbors.  Broadcasters participate in co-production pools like Nordvision (an NRK-SVT-DR-Yle-RÚV partnership) and the Scandi Alliance (a trilateral venture of TV2 Norway, TV2 Denmark and Sweden’s TV4).  By “going Dutch” on big dramas, Norway can share costs and secure broader distribution; for example, Royal Blood (Blått Blod) is a Scandinavian historical epic aimed at all Nordic audiences.  On the film side, Norwegian co-productions often access Nordisk Film & TV Fond grants.  Globally, partnerships with distributors like Neon (which acquired Sentimental Value) or festival sales agents (M-Appeal handles Haugerud’s trilogy) have become routine.

Industry leaders report that Norwegian filmmakers have learned to pitch and produce with global markets in mind, without losing their local flavor.  NRK’s Furevold-Boland notes that today’s audiences (even young viewers) are more “open-minded and skilled” about subtitles and foreign content.  As a result, a Norwegian film about everyday life can travel widely.  In short, the success of Skam decades ago taught the industry that authentic storytelling transcends language – a lesson now paying dividends in this golden age.

Challenges and Outlook

Despite the boom, producers and officials caution that growth has its limits.  Funding has not kept pace with rising production costs, as Hege Hauff Hvattum points out.  Streamers are investing less in local content than before, so Norwegian filmmakers must scramble to find finance.  State resources – though generous – are also under strain.  Producer Synnøve Hørsdal (Maipo) welcomed recent budget increases as the first index-linked raise in years, but noted they remain small in absolute terms.  The NFI has already begun restructuring to meet these pressures, hiring new executives to focus on development and digital strategy.

Still, officials remain optimistic.  NFI chief Mo calls the current moment “really exciting” and stresses that audiences at home are increasingly embracing Norwegian drama.  She and others warn against chasing cookie-cutter trends; instead, they argue, Norway’s films will go further by staying true to local stories.  As the Danish press observes, perhaps Danish cinema will take a break, and “until then the Norwegians can enjoy their place in the sun”.  Indeed, Norway may finally be stepping out of the shadow of its Scandinavian siblings and into a limelight of its own – a golden era built on talent, creativity and strong support from schools and state alike.

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