By Marie-Line Lormans
During the 2025 edition of New Nordic Films, held at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Europa Distribution and New Nordic Films hosted a panel titled “Dreams of Being the Nordic Loveable: Promoting Nordic Films Internationally.”
The session focused on two Norwegian titles that have made waves abroad: Loveable (2024) by Lilja Ingolfsdottir and Dreams (2024) by Dag Johan Haugerud, part of the trilogy Sex, Dreams, Love. The panel brought together experienced film professionals: distributors Beata Mrazíková (Aerofilms, Czech Republic) and Beatrice Moia (Wanted Cinema, Italy), Yngve Sæther (producer of Dreams, Motlys, Norway), and Hanne M. Okstad (International Promotion Adviser, Norwegian Film Institute. Journalist and festival consultant Wendy Mitchell moderated the discussion.
The panel highlighted how distributors tailor their approaches to fit regional markets, how producers and sales agents navigate international ambitions, and how institutional support enables Norwegian films to thrive abroad. Together, the speakers painted a portrait of a film ecosystem where artistic ambition, creative marketing, and public funding work hand in hand to connect Nordic cinema with audiences worldwide.
Producer Yngve Sæther from Motlys described the bold vision behind Haugerud’s trilogy. The team set out to secure premieres at three of the most prestigious festivals — Berlin, Cannes, and Venice — within a single year. The gamble paid off: the first film Sex was selected for the Berlinale in 2024, a breakthrough that validated the project and unlocked international sales.
The provocative title Sex proved both an advantage and a challenge. Some distributors rebranded it as Desire, Désir or Sehnsucht to avoid confusion with adult content. Still, Sæther defended the choice as it gave the film visibility. In Norway, the director is well known and the contrast between his reputation and the word ‘sex’ was intriguing.
Sales agent M-Appeal played a crucial role in the success, translating the trilogy’s complex themes into accessible marketing and helping shape its international trajectory. It was important for Motlys and the director that distributors believed in the whole trilogy and that’s why they wanted all three films to be released by the same distributors. In most territories that’s exactly what happened—much to their satisfaction. The trilogy was conceived to be seen in the order Sex, Dreams, Love, but flexibility proved essential. “It’s like letting your kids go out into the world,” Sæther admitted, “at some point you have to let go.”
For distributors like Wanted Cinema, handling the trilogy required careful strategy. Head of Marketing and Sales Beatrice Moia explained how posters in Italy always featured all three titles to ensure clarity and continuity. Release dates were staggered to match cultural hooks: Dreams followed quickly after its Golden Bear win in February 2025, Love launched in April for optimal press coverage, and Sex arrived in June to coincide with Pride Month. Such adaptability, panelists agreed, is key to managing multi-film projects across different cultural and commercial landscapes.
The film Loveable called for a different way of working. In Italy, “Loveable” was already known as a lingerie brand from the 1970s, and with Love from the trilogy releasing around the same time, confusion loomed. Wanted Cinema rebranded the film with the Italian title La solitudine dei non amati, retaining Loveable as a subtitle for younger, cinephile audiences. Moia described their standout campaign: CinemaTerapia. Audiences who purchased a ticket could book a free session with participating psychologists. It was totally for free, as they saw it as a chance to gain new clients. The initiative generated buzz far beyond traditional film marketing, reframing the release as both a cinematic and therapeutic experience.
For Beata Mrazíková of Aerofilms, Loveable’s journey began at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where lead actress Helga Goren won the Best Actress award. Mrazíková described it as not just a film event but a social event, and through the audience reaction they knew they had to acquire the film. The release campaign leaned into emotional depth. Because “loveable” is not a word used in Czech, Aerofilms crafted a local title inspired by wedding vows: Až na věky (“To Your Grave”), with the tagline “In good and bad?”, the question mark at the end adding a subtle twist of ambiguity. They positioned the film as a “mirror to your own relationship.” Collaborations included magazines Elle and Vogue, relationship podcasts, and even the Institute of Modern Love, which provided psychological data for campaign messaging. The results were striking: Loveable reached 27,000 admissions — far above the Czech arthouse success benchmark of 20,000.
Hanne M. Okstad of the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) outlined how public support has amplified these films’ global journeys. The international distribution support scheme, launched 4 years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, has already backed 55 Norwegian films across 165 releases worldwide. The impact has been significant: Okstad noted that almost 50% of distributors couldn’t have released without the support. The scheme has also enabled risk-taking, opening new markets in Latin America and beyond. Wanted Cinema received the support for both films, which proved crucial for dubbing Loveable and Dreams, since Italy still has a strong dubbing tradition. For Love and Sex, however, they chose not to dub and show the original version, and the outcome was positive.
Above all, authenticity emerged as the key. It starts with the films, they have to be true to the place they come from. Loveable was conceived as a small, personal production, but when stories are authentic, they can resonate far beyond borders. Inventive campaigns — from wedding-vow taglines in the Czech Republic to Cinematherapy in Italy — can transform a release into a cultural event. Well-designed support schemes not only reduce financial risk but also encourage smarter, more strategic campaigns.
The stories of Sex, Dreams, Love and Loveable demonstrate how Nordic films are carving out their place internationally. With bold artistic vision, creative marketing, and supportive institutions, these films of the “Norwegian wave” are not just reaching audiences — they are sparking conversations.
