03/05/2007

In its latest round of production support, the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) has awarded a total of SEK 34.4m (€3.7m) to 10 films, including five European co-productions.

Tarik Saleh’s adult animation film Metropia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], produced by Atmo Atmo Metro with Dennark’s Zentropa and Norway’s Tordenfilm, received the largest allocation (SEK 8m, or €874,722). The film, which will start shooting next September, is sold by Trust Film Sales.

Two films currently filming in northern Sweden were awarded SEK 7m (€765,460) each from the SFI. Jens Jonsson’s directorial debut King of Ping Pong is produced by B Bob Film Sweden in co-production with Denmark’s Nordisk Film. The film tells the story of an overweight ping-pong champion who is forced to rely on his popular younger brother to defend himself from bullies until a surprising revelation threatens their family unity.

Tomas Alfredson (Four Shades of Brown) is making a horror film based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s best-selling novel: Låt den rätte komma in (lit. “Let the Right One In”) is produced by Efti Film.

The animated children’s film Mummy Moo and Crow by the director of Lorange, Muffin & Dartanjang, Igor Veyshtagin, will be made into a feature film and a television series for AB Svensk Filmindustri in co-production with Germany’s Filmpool, Studio Baestarts and Swedish broadcaster SVT. It is the story of a cow, Mummy Moo, who longs to get out of her meadow.

Ruben Östlund, director of the award-winning Guitar Mongoloid, received SEK 3m for his new drama De Ofrivilliga (Involuntary), a Platform Produktion starring Maria Lundqvist. Two minority Swedish co-productions, the Irish film Summer of the Flying Saucer by Martin Duffy and Danish film Tills döden Skiljer oss åt (Till Death Do Us Part) by Paprika Steen were awarded SEK 800,000 and SEK 900,000 each. Lastly, three documentary films also received support.