Triangelfilm head Mattias Nohrborg returns with Tri Art; Norway’s Star Media moves into theatrical under Pal Krem.

Swedish distribution veteran Mattias Nohrborg (pictured) is back in business, launching Tri Art Film to purchase quality films for its own theatrical distribution in Sweden, with partners Staffan Wallhem (Sandrew Metronome, Sonet Film, Media Plant) and Bengt Vernberg.

For almost 20 years Nohrborg was head of Triangelfilm, which – in 2005 – bought Sandrew Metronome’s Swedish cinema chain with S/S Fladen and Atlantic Film, to relaunch it as Astoria Cinemas. The theatres were eventually purchased by SF Bio, while Triangelfilm went bankrupt.

Tri Art Film’s first release will be Vietnamese director Trán Anh Húng’s Norwegian Wood in February-March, followed by German director Tom Tykwer’s Three (Drei), Bosnian director Danis Tanovic’s Cirkus Columbia and Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Attenberg. During the year it will also set up a new digital platform.

The new company is funded by Folkets Hus och Parker (45%), operating 250 outdoor amusement parks, 700 community houses and 250 cinemas; Forestlight Studio Animation (30%); Nohrborg & Co (25%). Formerly White Shark, Forestlight is also in negotiations to acquire Noble Entertainment, according to SFI’s Filmnyheterna.

Meanwhile, following the closure of CCV Distribution, Norway’s Star Media Entertainment will set up its own theatrical distribution, headed by Pål Krem, who has worked with ORO Film since 2002 and followed the company when it merged with CCV in 2007. Star Media’s will initially launch two films from CCV, US director Jake Scott’s Welcome to the Rileys (Jan 21) and French director Dominique Monfery’s animated Eleonore’s Secret (Karity, la maison des contes).

The first Star slate also includes German-American director Marcus Nispel’s Conan the Barbarian, the 2011 3D version of the of the sword and sorcery epic starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman and Rose McGowan; and John Cameron Mitchell’s Rabbit Hole, with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. It will also handle local productions Anders Øvergaard’s Kehilan Comes Home (Kehilan kommer hjem) and Thomas Wangsmo’s thriller, Into the Darkness (Inn i mørket).

Topics