Norway's incoming culture minister, Ellen Horn, has pushed back the restructuring of the government's film financing policy from May to autumn, to take on board recommendations from directors' association, Norwegian Film Directors (NFD).

The NFD is calling for higher funding levels for the film sector, but has suggested that not all extra funding needs to come from government coffers. At a press conference in Oslo earlier this week, NFD representative Thomas Robsahm recommended the introduction of tax incentives, in line with other European countries, and levies on the box office of foreign films and commercial TV licences.

"We will postpone [the restructure] until the budget work for 2001 this autumn," Horn said on receiving the recommendations. The restructuring of government film financing was set to take place during work on the revised national budget in May.

The NFD also suggested the establishment of a new Norwegian Filmfund to take over the administration of government film financing for film production and marketing of Norwegian films both at home and on an international level.

The NFD also proposed:

  • NKr20m ($2.34m) to be split between ten production companies, to support development and production over a four-year period.
  • State-owned film body Norsk Film to concentrate on producing films where "quality, originality and cultural identity is more important than commercial potential".
  • Norsk Film to develop "triangles" of writers, directors and producers.

    • NFD, founded last autumn, encompasses 80 directors and writers. It has made several suggestions on finding new sources of finance for Norwegian film. Other sectors of the Norwegian film industry have called for Norsk Film to withdraw from direct involvement in production to concentrate on setting up financing for domestic productions (Screendaily, March 31).