SØRFOND grants support to six new projects
Three feature films and three documentaries have been selected, receiving grants of a total of 3 million NOK. There is great quality and variety in this year's selection, ranging from a broken American dream in Mexico to dancing seniors in Armenia.
Of 70 applications received, 6 productions were granted support by an international jury consisting of Dima El Horr (Lebanon), Einar Egeland (Norway) and Monica Boracco (Norway).
The jury has this to say about the selected projects:
The majority of applications came from Latin-America and Asia. Quality was overall high - making decisions for support difficult. We selected 6 good projects; 3 fictions and 3 documentaries, with great potential, and is looking forward to see them finalised in the year to come.
The following productions received funding:
LOS HEREDEROS (THE HEIRS) (feature)
Main production country : Mexico
Director: Jorge Hernandez Aldana
Script: Gabriel Nuncio
Main Producers: Lucia Films/Michel Franco
Norwegian co-producer: Tordenfilm/Eric Vogel
The project receives NOK 850.000 in grants (USD 150.000)
About the film:
Los Herederos is a beautifully written, strong and poetic tale of a young man’s struggle to fit in. At first glance a colorful, soulful coming of age tale, Los Herederos is in fact a tragedy. It’s Coyo’s tragedy. It’s his family’s tragedy. It’s the downfall of the American dream on Mexican soil.
Directors quote:
We're really thrilled and thankful for the support from Sørfond. This support enables us to bring to the screen the film we so deeply believe should be made. We're happy this happens as a result of our collaboration with our Norwegian co-producer Tordenfilm. We feel not only lucky but also honoured.
FLAPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (feature)
Main production country: Vietnam
Director: Diep Nguyen Hoang
Script: Diep Nguyen Hoang
Main Producer: VBlock Media/ Diep Nguyen Hoang & Phan Dang Di
Norwegian co-producer: Film Farms/Alan R.Milligan
The project receives NOK 850.000 in grants (USD 150.000)
About the film:
A story containing both the harshness of reality, and the truly sweet moments. It is both poetic, and giving a strong sense of real life, love, lust, and the urge for a better future.
ALGIERS BY NIGHT (feature)
Main production country : Algerie
Director: Yanis Koussim
Script: Yanis Koussim
Main Producer: Un Chambre á soi/ Claire Mazeau Karoum, Tewfik RAYS
Norwegian co-producer: Pomor Film As/ Knut Skoglund
The project receives NOK 450.000 in grants (EUR 60.000)
About the film:
A night time urban drama, using a documentary process, to tell about people’s way of thinking, fear of how they actually live and fear of vindictiveness and reprisals in the Algerian society of today.
A MAID FOR EACH (documentary)
Main production country: Lebanon
Director: Maher Abi Samra
Script: Maya Abdul- Malak
Main Producer: Orjouane Productions/ Sabine Sidawi Hamdan and Jinane Dagher
Norwegian co-producer: Medieoperatørene TV/Ida Ven Bruusgaard
The project receives NOK 450.000 in grants (EUR 60.000)
About the film:
A Maid for Each sheds a light on the injustice that is practiced on the maids that come to Lebanon from different countries (Ethiopia, Philippines, Sri Lanka…) to work in the houses of Lebanese families and are deprived of any law that protects them.
THE PAST WILL RETURN (documentary)
Main production country: Egypt
Director: Dina Hamza
Script: Dina Hamza
Main Producer: Misr Int. films (Youssef Chahine)/ Marianne Khoury
Norwegian co-producer: Medieoperatørene TV/ Ida Ven Bruusgaard
The project receives NOK 250.000 in grants (euro 33.000)
About the film:
Dina's father, Mohamed Hamza, was a poet and wrote the lyrics to the songs performed by the extremely popular and epic Arab singer Abdel Halim Hafez. Through her family story, she will convey the feelings of a nation that dreamed of a revolution in the 50s and 60s.
THE CHOSEN ONES (documentary)
Main production country: Armenia
Director: Arman Yeritsyan
Script: Arman Yeritsyan
Main Producer: Bars Media/ Inna Sahakyan
Norwegian co-producer: tenk.tv / Frode Søbstad
The project receives NOK 150.000 in grants (euro 20.000)
About the film:
The film tells the story about Armenia’s first and only senior citizen dance troupe. They met in a soup kitchen, where they have their only hot meal of day, and inspired by the suggestion of young choreographer, they started to dance.
Main features of SØRFOND
- Production support only – top financing (50% of budget in place)
- Projects from developing countries (OECD’s DAC-list)
- Norwegian co-producer required
- No spending in Norway required
- Fiction, documentaries and animation – minimum 50 minutes running time
- All media platforms
- Special fund feature: special focus on freedom of expression
- Main producer must be based in a country on the OECD’s DAC-list
- Next deadline for Pitching Forum: 15th August 2013
- Next deadline for application of grants: 15th January 2014
Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by the Norwegian Film Institute in association with the Films from the South Foundation - SØRFOND announces NOK 3mill granted to 6 productions originating from developing countries in 2013.