Norwegian director Marius Holst received the largest cheque, as the Norwegian Film Institute allocated $11.8m (Euros 7.5m) production support for a package of new Norwegian features, and set seven films rolling with costs totalling $54.1m (Euros 34.1m).

Holst, whose last film wasaward winner Mirush, got $2.9m (Euros 1.8m) for Bastøy, based on a real event in 1915 when a riot among the inmates of a boys' detention centre is crushed by Norwegian authorities.

Penned by Dannis Magnusson from an original story by Lars Saabye Christensen and Mette Bølstad, Bastøy will be produced on a $8.8m(Euros 5.1m) budget Karin Julsrud for 4½ Productions, co-owned by Holst and Julsrud. The company's so far most expensive project will shoot from February 2009 for a winter 2010 release.

The dark side of the Norwegian oil adventure is depicted in Arild Østin Ommundsen's Rat Nights (Rottenetter), which - according to Paradox Productions' producer Finn Gjerdrum is 'Wall Street and The Godfather in the same film.' Ommundsen scripted the film with Arld Rein.

Set in Stavanger, Rat Nights is the story of a young man who works hard to reach the glamorous top of the financial hierarchy - he gets there, but it is not for free. Gjerdrum will produce the $3.5m (Euros 2.2m) movie with Stein B Kvae, with a September start for a October 2009 première.

After the award-winning Vinterkyss (Kissed by Winter), Sara Johnsen will direct Upperdog, also written by her, about four people whose live are intertwined - not with much drama, but forcing each of them to confront themselves and make important choices.

Aske Vatn and Christian Fredrik Martin, of Friland Productions, will direct the $3.9m (Euros 2.5m) production, which will lense from September for an August 2009 release.

A spin-off from the television series about the pixies on the Blue Mountain, Christmas Night on the Blue Mountain (Julenatt i Blåfjell), will be Peder Norlund's second family feature after Wolf Summer (Ulvesommer), which won Norway's national film prize, the Amanda.

Produced by Jørgen Storm Rosenberg for his own company, the $4.2m(Euros 2.6m) film will shoot from February 2009, to be launched by Sandrew Metronome in November 2009.

Based on Anne-Cath Vestly's children's book classic, Knerten will be Åsleik Engmark's feature debut, as a Finn Gjerdrum and Stein B Kvae's production for Paradox. Brigitte Bratseth wrote the screenplay for the $3.5m (Euros 2.2m) feature, which will go before the cameras in September; Scanbox will handle domestic distribution from November 2009.

In another first feature - a horror thriller - The Short Cut (Snarveien), Severin Eskeland follows Lina and Martin on a smuggling trip to buy supplies their best friend's wedding. Eskeland also scripted the $1.9m (Euros 1.2m) production for Bjørn Eivind Aarskog and Torleif Hauge, of Exposed Film Productions, which SF Norge will release in September 2009.

Originally a television series, Pelle the Police Car will appear theatrically for the second time in Rasmus A Sivertsen's Pelle the Police Car Goes Bathing (Pelle Politibil går i vannet). Aage Aaberge will produce the $3.1m (Eu2.0m) 3D-animated feature for Neofilm, and Nordisk Film has scheduled the local premiere for December 2009.

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