Leading Danish film company Nimbus Film is taking steps to respond to today's tougher financial climate in the film industry. Around a third of Nimbus staff will be cut from the company's Filmbyen offices, according to film magazine EKKO.

As former CEO, Jørgen Ramskov, who will in future head up the TV-fiction leg of the firm, explained, 'The willingness to loan money is not as high in the banks right now as in recent years and we have to acknowledge that ticket sales are on the vane. This is not only the case for films produced by Nimbus. On the whole Danish blockbusters seem to only sell half of what they are used to.'

The Danish public are still paying to see domestic films theatrically but Nimbus Film offerings did not fare well in 2007. Thomas Vinterbergs' A Man Comes Home, Jannik Johansens' White Night and Natasha Arthys' Fighter didn't take the expected box-office, leaving Nimbus film around $6m (Euros 4m) down. The company plans to recoup some of that by slimming down the organization.

However, Nimbus hopes to continue to feature as a major player in Denmark in 2009. Three features are on the production schedule following 2008's big success Flame & Citron. These include Nicolas Winding Refns' international Viking film Valhalla Rising starring Mads Mikkelsen and local stand-up comedian Anders Matthesens directorial debut Sorte Kugler

Part of the income needed will no doubt be earned with Flame & Citron's international release. The film will be distributed in 35 countries and its Danish DVD-release is imminent. Flame & Citron's will be the first local Blue-Ray product and is expected to become Denmark's best selling DVD.

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