Nordic Film Schools Met During the Film Festival
When members of the film industry gathered at the Göteborg Film Festival, HDK-Valand invited the Nordic film schools in the Nordicil network to do the same. The idea was to give students the opportunity to get to know each other as well as the industry they will soon become part of.
Outside, the winter cold lingers. But inside the cinema in central Gothenburg, it is warm and almost full. Around 140 film students from across the Nordic countries are seated in the auditorium. This morning, they have gathered to listen as the various schools within Nordicil introduce themselves to one another.
So far, it is only day two of the week-long course Entering the Industry. The upcoming schedule includes everything from lectures by industry representatives and filmmakers to the unique opportunity to pitch film ideas as part of the official program at the Göteborg Film Festival.
One of the students is Ella-Irina Siliämaa. She is in her third year of a four-year film programme in Tampere, Finland, and aims for a future as a screenwriter. She sees her stay in Gothenburg as an excellent opportunity to build new connections.
− The experiences you gain here are completely different from those in the classroom. Here, you have the chance to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise encounter, says Ella-Irina Siliämaa.
When she learned that only two students from her school would be attending, she felt nervous — something that is already beginning to fade.
− Finns are often a bit quiet and shy, myself included. But I feel braver now and hope I can bring that feeling back home to Finland. So that I also dare to seek out professional contexts and connect with new people there, she says.
Pitching ”for real”
What Ella-Irina Siliämaa is most looking forward to during the week is pitching “for real.” It is the first time she has done so internationally, in front of industry professionals who will also provide feedback.
− It’s very exciting. Nerve-racking, but cool to do it this early in my career, she says.
Icelandic student Brynjar Leó Hreiðarsson agrees. It is nerve-wracking — but above all fun. He is in his final year at a relatively new film programme in Reykjavík. In the future, he hopes to direct feature films, and in Gothenburg he and a friend are working on pitching their joint film idea, Cardio Bunny.
He sees filmmaking as a collective endeavor and appreciates the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the film industry while expanding his Nordic network.
− It’s incredibly valuable to step outside our little bubble in Iceland. Of course, you can make films solely in Iceland, but as a small country we have a strong interest in international co-productions. Many Icelandic directors have succeeded that way, he says.
Greater interest than ever
That the film schools within Nordicil meet in connection with the Göteborg Film Festival is nothing new. This year, however, the event is larger than usual. Linda Sternö, senior lecturer and head of the film programs at HDK-Valand, explains that the number of students is twice as many as last year.
− Interest in collaboration is greater than ever. More and more Nordic film schools are joining Nordicil. It’s an environment that is growing, she says, and continues:
− We also have a dedicated day for film school teachers, so they can discuss what it means to provide film education today. What are the pedagogical challenges? How do we solve them?
She explains that the theme Entering the Industry was chosen to prepare students for the industry that awaits them. They receive guidance in navigating the field and practice networking.
− Networking is important for everyone who works in film, as is the ability to move between different contexts. One day it might be a gala dress and the red carpet. The next you’re in a rain jacket filming in the forest. It can be quite a contrast, says Linda Sternö.
Glimpse of the future
Nicole Lundberg is in her final year of the film programme at HDK-Valand. For her, the festival week means getting to try a bit of everything. Alongside her classmates, she participates in Entering the Industry, where she also helps as a host and presents program segments. At the same time, her graduation film A Performance (En föreställning) premieres at the festival.
− This entire week is a glimpse of what the future might look like, she says.
What does it mean to meet film students from the other Nordic countries?
− We’re a group of people who love film. That connects us. When we meet like this, we get to know each other better, which hopefully can lead to different kinds of collaborations. Even though there may sometimes be a certain level of competition between film schools, we are primarily future colleagues.
Text: Camilla Adolfsson
…is organized by the Nordic film school network Nordicil in collaboration with the Göteborg Film Festival and Film i Väst. The program is developed by a group of teachers from the participating schools. This year’s gathering included 138 students from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.