Nordisk Film

History

Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory," but soon changed it to the Nordisk Films Kompagnie.

In 1908, Olsen opened an affiliate branch in New York, the Great Northern Film Company, to handle the distribution of his films to the American market. In 1909, having been excluded from the MPPC cartel in the United States, which Olsen had hoped to join, Nordisk participated in the Paris Film Congress in a failed attempt by major European producers to form a similar monopoly. It became a publicly traded company in 1911 as Nordisk Film. During the 1910s, the company created popular silent films with movie stars such as Valdemar Psilander and Clara Pontoppidan.

When Germany invaded Denmark during World War II, the company was locked out of the nationalized German film industry and lost large amounts of revenue.

In 1992, it merged with the Egmont media group, operating as electronic media production and distribution group. The total revenues in 2018 amounted to approximately €559 million. Nordisk Film is one of the oldest movie production company still in operation in the world. Nordisk Film is the largest producer and distributor of electronic entertainment in the Nordic region.

Operations

The company produces and co-produces national and international feature films in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which are distributed to cinemas around the Nordic countries, including Nordisk Film Cinemas in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The films are also distributed internationally for viewing in cinemas, on video and on television.

Furthermore, Nordisk Film produces games through a number of game studios invested in by Nordisk Film Games, distributes PlayStation in the Nordic and Baltic countries and develops global digital gifting solutions through GoGift.

Through the Nordisk Film Foundation, Nordisk Film develops danish acting talents with travel scholarships of DKK 10,000 (Lille Isbjørn) or DKK 25,000 (Store Isbjørn). As of 2024, the Nordisk Film Foundation stated an annual budget of DKK 7 million for the development of the Danish film industry though scholarships, project grants and awards.

Business areas

Nordisk Film Production

Nordisk Film Production focuses primarily on the Scandinavian market but produces feature films, animation films, short films, TV series, and TV documentaries for both the Scandinavian and international market. They have a hand in roughly 15 productions per year, spanning a range of formats and genres. Nordisk Film Production

In October 2009, Nordisk sold its TV production unit to the Banijay Group.

Nordisk Film Distribution

Nordisk Film Distribution handles and distributes the rights to its own productions, a number of local films as well as independent productions. Nordisk Film also partners with international film studios for distribution in Scandinavia.

Nordisk Film Interactive

Nordisk Film Interactive has exclusive distribution rights to Sony PlayStation products in the Nordic countries, and is thereby responsible for a substantial business area in Nordisk Film.

Nordisk Film Cinemas

Nordisk Film Cinemas is a cinema chain in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, screening for approximately ten million cinema guests per year. The company also offers two online platforms - kino.dk and filmweb.no (only available in Danish) - where the customer can watch, review and discuss current films.

Nordisk Games

Nordisk Games is an investor in and owner of several European game studios including, as of 2025, Avalanche Studios Group, Supermassive Games, MercurySteam, and Star Stable Entertainment. Former game investments included Nitro Games, Kogama, Flashbulb Games, Raw Fury and Reto-Moto.

In May 2018, it was announced that Nordisk Games had acquired all of Avalanche Studios.

In November 2021, it acquired the majority stake in the company of Star Stable Online.

In July 2022, Nordisk Games acquired all of Supermassive Games

In April 2023, the Founder of Nordisk Games, Mikkel Weider, exits as CEO.

Selected feature films

• The Crow (2024; distribution in Scandinavia only)
• Sisu (2022; distribution in Scandinavia only; internationally distributed by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions)
• Dog (2022; Danish distribution only; produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and FilmNation Entertainment)
• The Tunnel (2019)
• Midsommar (2019; co-production and distribution in Scandinavia)
• Before the Frost (2019)
• Checkered Ninja (2018)
• Animals United (2016)
• A War (2015) - nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• Key House Mirror (2015)
• A War (2015)
• April 9th (2015)
• Testament of Youth (2015)
• When Animals Dream (2014)
• Speed Walking (2014)
• Sorrow and Joy (2013)
• Nordvest (2013)
• Kon-Tiki (2013)
• A Royal Affair (2012) - nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• A Hijacking (2012)
• The Reunion (2011)
• A Funny Man (2011)
• Ronal the Barbarian (2011)
• In a Better World (2010) - Won Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
• R (2010)
• Ploddy the Police Car Makes a Splash (2009)
• Rejsen til Saturn (2008)
• Kurt Turns Evil (2008)
• Jungledyret Hugo 3: Fræk, flabet, og fri (2007)
• Quest for a Heart (2007)
• After the Wedding 2006 - nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• Terkel in Trouble (2004)
• Help! I'm a Fish (2000)
• Hard Rain (1998; co-production and distribution in Scandinavia)
• Barbara (1997 film)
• Jungledyret Hugo 2: Den store filmhelt (1996)
• Jungledyret Hugo (1993)
• Fuglekrigen i Kanøfleskoven (1990)
• Waltzing Regitze (1989) - nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• Babette's Feast (1987) - Won Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
• Kispus (1956) - first Danish feature movie in color
• Qivitoq - Fjeldgængeren (1956) - nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• Adam and Eve (1953)
• Ditte, Child of Man (1946) - listed in Denmark's cultural canon
• Præsidenten (1919)
• Atlantis (1913)

TV series

• The Team (2015)
• Första Kärleken (1992)
• BECK (1997–2015)
• Arne Dahl (co-pro) (2015)
• Jungledyret Hugo (2002–2003)
• The Fairytaler (2002–2003)
• Fenris (2022)

References

References

1. "About". Nordisk Film.
2. Lieberman, David. (May 2, 2016). "Lionsgate Partners With Execs At Film Initiative Targeting Global Local Markets". Deadine.
3. (22 December 2020). "Nordisk Games acquires 40% ownership of MercurySteam".
4. "Nordisk Film A/S: Private Company Information".
5. (2006). "Nordisk Film - en del af Danmark i 100 år". Aschehoug Dansk Forlag A/S and Nordisk Film A/S.
6. Bergan, Ronald. (September 2011). "The Film Guide: A Complete Guide to the World of Cinema". [[DK Publishing]].
7. "Brief History about Copenhagen". Copenhagen Portal.
8. (2024). "Ole Olsen". Danish Film Institute.
9. Thorsen, Isak. ''Nordisk Films Kompagni 1906–1924, The Rise and Fall of the Polar Bear''. [[Indiana University Press]], 2017. pp. 71–73.
10. "The History of Nordisk Film".
11. "About".
12. "Nordisk Film Cinemas".
13. "Nordisk Film Distribution".
14. "About {{!".
15. (2024). "Our study grants:Store Isbjørn & Lille Isbjørn". Nordisk Film.
16. (2024). "Empowering film talents". Nordisk Film.
17. "Nordisk Film Production".
18. (2009-10-12). "Banijay acquires Nordisk Film's TV arm".
19. "Nordisk Film Distribution {{!".
20. "PlayStation".
21. "Nordisk Film Cinemas {{!".
22. (2025). "Game Studios". Nordisk Games.
23. (30 May 2018). "Nordisk Film Acquires Avalanche Studios".
24. Dealessandri, Marie. (2021-11-19). "Nordisk Games takes majority stake in Star Stable".
25. "Nordisk Games News".
26. "Nordisk Games CEO exits".
27. Squires, John. (June 10, 2022). "'The Crow' Reboot Taking Flight With Several Big Deals Made for International Rights".
28. Kay, Jeremy. (June 10, 2022). "FilmNation sells out on 'The Crow' reboot in Cannes (exclusive)".
29. Mitchell, Wendy. (2021-06-14). "Sony boards Jalmari Helander's Second World War title 'Immortal'". [[Screendaily]].
30. Christian Monggaard, [http://kulturkanon.kum.dk/film/ditte_menneskebarn/ ''Ukuelig Optimist''] {{webarchive. link. (December 5, 2010 , Kultur Kanon, Kultur Ministeriet retrieved 22-06-2010.)
31. "Film Production".
32. "''Fenris''".