Haugesund Film Market Launches First French Focus to Spur Nordic Co-Productions

The Norwegian International Film Festival’s industry hub, New Nordic Films, will host a French Focus from Aug. 25-28 in Haugesund, showcasing four French projects and a case study on director Morten Tyldum’s upcoming biopic.

New Nordic Films, the industry arm of the Norwegian International Film Festival, announced a dedicated French Focus to run Aug. 25-28 in Haugesund, aiming to build co-production links between France and the Nordic region. Partnered with the Institut Français de Norvège, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, CNC and Unifrance, the program will include a pitch for four French films at the Nordic Co-Production Market, two of which are produced by Les Valseurs, a recent Cannes Un Certain Regard prize-winner.

The lineup also features debut documentaries “Boutès” and “Temporary Lives.” A panel will explore partnership models, while a case study will spotlight Morten Tyldum’s biopic “Ibelin,” starring Charlie Plummer and Stephen Graham, currently in production with Vendôme Pictures, Pathé and Neby-Tyldum AS. Speakers from the Norwegian Film Institute and CNC emphasized how French financing, distribution channels and festival access complement Nordic creative assets, hoping the event will spark a wave of joint projects. The broader Norwegian International Film Festival will also present eight French titles in its French Touch section.