Catching up with our Nordic peers: The rising demand for Finnish drama series and its impact on local film and television production companies

Abstract

Traditionally, the Finnish film and television industry has revolved around producing feature films and television series for local distribution. In the past five years, however, the industry has been transformed by a rising demand for high-end drama series. In addition to the positive developments for the economic stability of production companies, challenges are unfolding as the demand for new content keeps growing. This article introduces three recent and central developments, drawing on interviews with four local producers and an analysis of industry and media reports. First, new players have entered the market and introduced new financing opportunities, both domestic and international. Second, international co-production opportunities have grown through production companies’ new international focus. And finally, the introduction of the Finnish production incentive for the audio-visual industry has enabled more ambitious projects. These developments have led to two main challenges that the industry is currently facing: the imminent lack of experienced crew and the need for revised practices for screenwriting, development and production.