Norway's Nordisk Film & TV, owned by Copenhagen-based Nordisk Film, is establishing a feature film production division that aims to have an output of two titles a year that will travel across Scandinavian borders.

The new outfit, to be headed by producer Rune Trondsen, will run parallel to Nordisk Film's other Norwegian production subsidiary, Northern Lights, which has credits including Berit Nesheim's Eva's Eye, Mendel, directed by Aleksander Rosler, and Trygve Allister Diesen's Isle Of Darkness. The two companies will have a common strategy, but focus on different genres.

Nordisk Film & TV president Stein-Roger Bull said: "We consider the Nordic territories as one single market and our goal is to produce films that can have an appeal across national borders in the region. Both Danes and Swedes have managed this much better. Now it is our turn."

Nordisk Film & TV mostly produces for television although it has feature credits under its belt including comedy The Olsen Gang - Final Mission, directed by Knut Bohwin, and the mockumentary Get Ready To Be Boyzvoiced, which is being released in Norway this week (see separate story).

According to Norway's new subsidy guidelines, funding will be given to producers who are able to raise half of a film's budget. "That is exactly how we financed our two previous features. The new policy increases our opportunities," said Bull.

Nordisk Film, in turn owned by Scandinavian major Egmont, has four other production subsidiaries - Nordisk Film Production and Victoria Film in Denmark and Felicia Film and Nordisk Film Production AB in Sweden. A total of seven features films produced by Nordisk Film companies premiered in the Nordic territories last year.