The Swedish Film Institute is backing local films with a $310,000 (SEK 2.5m) support campaign this summer.

The pilot scheme will back the release of up to five features and will help with prints and advertising expenses, which are between $37,179 (SEK 300,000) to $310,000 (SEK 2.5m per title.

Ragnar Berthling, who handles distribution subsidies at the institute, said: “Almost 30% of last year’s cinema admissions were registered during the summer months of June to August, which did not benefit domestic films, since – traditionally – very few are premièred in this period.”

He added the marketing initiative aimed to help distributors and exhibitors to change this pattern. “We will contribute to the marketing of three to five film releases between June 15 and August 1, considering range of the campaign, target groups, audience potential. Distributors must themselves come up with at least 50% of the expense.”

Berthling said that the institute hoped that combined with its print support scheme, which subsidises Swedish and international films in regional cinemas, the new marketing strategy would help to keep small cinemas open in the summer with a programme of local films.

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