Danish major Nordisk Film has purchased 'a significant stake' of leading Finnish production company Solar Films in a deal that Solar CoB and CEO Markus Selin described as 'an important step for Finnish film and television into the international market.'

For the last four years, Selin has delivered the number-one local blockbuster on the Finnish charts. According to the agreement, Nordisk will take over distribution of Solar product in the Nordic countries, as well as handle international sales. First film on the slate is Dark Floors, featuring Finnish 2006 Eurovision Song Contest winner Lordi.

'The alliance with Nordisk will become the key to Solar's future expansion - it will open doors worldwide,' added Selin, whose most recent feature production, Finnish director Aleksi Makela's V2 Dead Angel, is so far 2007's domestic top grosser, from 184,000 admissions.

Managing director Michael Ritto, of Nordisk Film, explained that the contract was part of Nordisk's overall strategy to focus on local production in the Nordic countries. 'By this collaboration we have

strengthened our position in Finland considerably,' he said. Solar will continue with Selin as CoB, Jukka Helle as CEO, Petteri Ahomaa and Martti Sivonen as producers.

Directed by Pete Riski, the $5.3 million (Euros 4m) horror movie Dark Doors, will start principal photography on May 7 shortly before this year's Eurovision Song Contest on May 12, where Lordi will perform to an estimated 120 million TV viewers.

Nordisk will start presales of the film at the upcoming Cannes International Film Festival, where the Finnish monster hard-rock group will turn up for an exclusive concert. Solar is also in pre-production with Finnish Hollywood-director Renny Harlin's first Finnish feature for 20 years, a $15.8-18.8 million (Euros12-14m) biopic of historial legend CGE Mannerheim.

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