The Copenhagen Film Fund has backed its first project, the SBS TV series Heartless directed by Natasha Arthy and produced by Fridthjof Film.

The Copenhagen Film Fund had its first board meeting Sept 3. Other discussions included BentleyProductions shooting an episode of UK TV series Midsomer Murders.

The Fund’s newly appointed CEO, Thomas Gammeltoft, said: “We’re thrilled to see the years-long effort to establish a Copenhagen film fund finally bear fruit. I look forward to the coming years’ work of attracting exciting international productions to Greater Copenhagen and to seeing Copenhagen Film Fund investments help keep Danish productions in this country.

“We are proud and delighted to be involved in the Heartless TV series, which without funding from the Copenhagen Film Fund would have had to move production to Hungary. We see Heartless as a pathbreaking fantasy youth series made on Danish turf and holding major international potential.It’s good that we can also make a mark on this front.

The new Fund has about $6.2m (DKK 35m) for investment in Danish and international productions over the next two and a half years.

The fund is financed by contributions from the municipalities of Albertslund, Ballerup, Brøndby, Frederiksberg, Furesø, Helsingør, Hvidovre and the City of Copenhagen, as well as from a number of private investors.