FINLAND will serve as the backdrop for the inaugural Nordic Genre Lab from September 23-25, as part of the Finnish Film Affair industry event during the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival. The program showcases eight high-end genre projects currently in development, featuring works from some of the region’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including Hanna Bergholm and Ilja Rautsi.
The selected titles span a diverse array of subgenres, including the Finnish psychological thriller “Alma” written by Rautsi, the Swedish backwoods horror “Trespassers” produced by Patrik Andersson of “Midsommar” fame, and “Whistler,” noted as the first-ever horror feature from the Faroe Islands.
Over the course of the two-day intensive, the titles will be pitched to more than 500 delegates. Participants will also engage in workshops and receive mentorship from Claire Willats of Two Magpies Entertainment and Todd Brown, both former executives at Netflix and XYZ Films, respectively.
Willats and Brown bring significant experience to the initiative, having previously collaborated on the Norwegian adaptation of “The Trip” and the acquisition of the Netflix hit “The Platform.” Willats is currently attached to the supernatural horror “Amara” directed by Roar Uthaug, while Brown is developing Johnnie To’s “Two Gun Cohen.” Both executives expressed enthusiasm for strengthening the Nordic genre ecosystem and supporting emerging talent.
“The base of talent is deep,” Brown told Variety. “The Nordics in general do a remarkable job of balancing class and critical quality with audience accessibility. You continue to not only see a high volume of projects at global festivals but also see those perform commercially.”
However, Brown noted a gap in institutional support. “There still isn’t much in the way of institutional knowledge of genre within funding bodies or a way for these creators to really connect, support and learn from one another in the way they can within the arthouse world,” he said, adding that the lab aims to fill that void.
Willats highlighted the global market appetite for Nordic genre content, pointing to the continued success of Netflix’s “Troll.” She also expressed hope to expand the program next year to include Sámi, Icelandic, and Greenlandic projects, which were not represented in this inaugural cohort.
The eight finalists were chosen from 29 submissions based on originality, team quality, writing, and development stage. The projects include survival folk horror, dystopian thrillers, animated psychological horror, and dark political satire.
Among the participants, Jón Hammer, producer of “Whistler,” described the opportunity to develop the first Faroese horror feature with guidance from strong mentors as “incredibly exciting.” Pauliina Piipponen, producer of “Alma,” noted the timing was ideal as the project moves into international financing and creative development.
The program is supported by Nordisk Kulturfond, the Finnish Film Foundation, and Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
The full lineup includes:
- “Alma” (Finland): A WWII-era thriller about a teenage girl with telekinetic powers, written by Ilja Rautsi and produced by Making Movies.
- “Echo Chamber” (Finland): An anime-inspired psychological horror about two estranged sisters bound by a curse.
- “Linden Lane 6” (Finland): A provocative drama exploring sexual harassment by reversing traditional gender roles.
- “Long Way Home” (Norway): A dystopian road movie set after an electromagnetic pulse disables electricity across Western Norway.
- “Sauna Diplomacy” (Finland): A dark comedy set in 1970s Finland involving a diplomat and a Soviet official.
- “The Evil Eye” (Denmark): A found-footage horror film exploring online abuse and digital communities.
- “Trespassers” (Sweden): A wilderness thriller where four activists encounter isolated locals with terrifying beliefs.
- “Whistler” (Faroe Islands): A survival horror following marine biologists hunted by a reclusive farmer in the Faroe Islands.
Backwoods horror from the same producer as Midsommar? Sign me up immediately.
I just hope they include Sámi and Greenlandic voices next year. Representation matters beyond just the mainland.
Netflix’s appetite for Scandi-noir proves the market is hungry. Good timing for these producers.
A horror feature from the Faroe Islands? I never expected this, but it sounds incredibly intriguing.
Finally, some institutional support for Nordic horror. The lack of genre funding has always been a glaring issue in the region.