Finnish leading production house, MRP Matila Röhr Productions, and Nordisk Film TV - the Finnish subsidiary of Danish major, Nordisk Film - will merge their operations under the banner of Matila-Röhr-Nordisk.

They will maintain two production lines, feature films and TV programming.

'We have long wanted to invest in television drama, and it seems sensible to combine our own competence in high-quality feature films with the elite in TV production,' said managing director Marko Röhr, of MRP Matila Röhr Productions. 'It will enable us to produce a diverse range of TV drama, and to offer our best filmmakers opportunities both within film and television.'

'We are thrilled to see the strong chemistry between MRP and Nordisk, and I am sure this move will further consolidate our activities both in feature film and television production.' added Nordisk Film TV president and CEO, Jacob Houlind.

Established in 1990, with MRP Matila Röhr Productions has backed more then 30 features, including three 2008 performers: Pekka Lehtosaari's fully-animated Quest for a Heart (152,000 admissions), Kaja Kallio's Playing Solo, and Hannu Kanukorpi's The Novelist.

The Eu6 million Quest for a Heart was a co-production with Germany's Greenlight Media, Russia's Center Kontakt and the UK's Film and Music Entertainment. (F&ME) which took five years to complete - is now available in five languages. UK singer Lisa Stansfield and actor Mackenzie Crook have lent their voices to the English version.

Sold to more than 25 countries,

Already a co-owner of MRP, Nordisk will increase its stake in the formation of the company, while new branch manager of TV programming, Antti Väisänen, will join as a shareholder with Röhr and Matila.

Matila-Röhr-Nordisk will begin its activities on the new brand in joint premises at MRP's Helsinki-based offices from Jamuary.

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