The Amanda Committee has met in recent weeks to discuss what has been a major debate in the Norwegian film industry since August: the question of whether films that are primarily shown on streaming services can also win the biggest film prize in Norway, the Amanda Prize. Now it’s decided: From next year, streaming films can win Amanda. The category that used to be called “Best Norwegian cinema”, will now be named “Best Norwegian film”. But: if the rights to the film are owned by producers or distributors abroad, it will still not qualify, emphasizes the Amanda committee’s leader, Tonje Hardersen. Director Uthaug: – Silly Film director Roar Uthaug, who is among other things behind the million-dollar film Troll on Netflix, said shortly after the decision to news that the change is a “pleasant surprise”. – I think it will make the award much more relevant both to the public and to the industry. Film director Roar Uthaug tells news that it is good news that the price is now changing. Photo: Ksenia Novikova / news He also says that it makes him happy on behalf of everyone who works in front of and behind the camera on the streaming films. – This means that they are recognized on an equal footing with those who do the same job for films in cinemas. But when he is made aware that the rights must lie with a Norwegian company, he is not as impressed: – It will be completely silly. It doesn’t change anything, really. The award is on a steady course towards becoming irrelevant for both the industry and the public. This is the Amandapris debate: Films that have been released directly onto streaming services without having gone to the cinema first, such as the Netflix film “Troll” and the Viaplay film “Gulltransporten”, have been excluded from the award as the regulations have been until now . After this year’s Amanda award ceremony in August, there was a debate about whether the award should include all films, regardless of platform. The Norwegian Film Institute, NFI, withdrew from the Amanda committee because they thought streaming films should be included in the award. The Amanda committee, for its part, wants to protect the cinema: – Amanda will promote the film that goes on the big screen. If you allow films from streaming services, you may also have to consider films from Facebook and YouTube, said committee leader Tonje Hardersen in August. After NFI withdrew, the Amanda committee tried to find a solution to what they saw as a dilemma: Should they protect the cinema by demanding that films must be screened there? Or should they include the streaming films that are produced in Norway for the same price? Troll is still out of date His film about the ogre-spun trolls, was paid for and is now owned by Netflix. He is therefore still doing it out of context for the Norwegian film award. The Amanda committee explains it like this: “Amanda was founded to increase the quality of and promote interest in Norwegian films, and to pay tribute to and support an independent Norwegian film industry.” They believe it is essential that an award-winning film should also be available to the general public into the future, so that the Norwegian film heritage is secure. Tonje Hardersen is head of the Amanda committee and is also festival and program manager for the Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund. Photo: Rosa Irén Villalobos / news – Can buy the rights for a period of time One of the reasons why they want it this way is that the films must not disappear, according to the head of the Amanda committee, Tonje Hardersen. – The streaming services can buy the right to distribute the film for a given period. But when that period is over, others will be able to convey the film and it will also be included in the Norwegian film heritage and be available to future generations. She highlights The Battle of Narvik and Krigsseileren as examples of such films. – So it is not the distribution rights that we set guidelines for, but who owns the film rights themselves. If, for example, Netflix also owns the rights, he risks disappearing completely if they remove him from their platform, she concludes. – Interesting signal NFI, which withdrew from the committee last autumn, says the changes from the Amanda committee for “interesting signal”. – These changes can lead to us being able to celebrate the artistic quality and contribution of a collective Norwegian film industry when the awards are handed out. Oscar to tighten regulations The fact that the price changes here at home makes it more inclusive than in several other countries. In Sweden, the regulations now say that a film can be nominated for the country’s biggest film prize, the Guldbaggen, if the film has been in cinemas for at least seven days. This is to avoid streaming films being shown for a single cinema screening, and thus technically would have been within the regulations to be nominated, while other films have been shown in cinemas for months. These rules will also be tightened in the future for the world’s biggest film award, the Oscar. In a press release this summer, they announced that the requirement to be nominated means having cinema screenings for at least one week to two weeks from 2024. Norway will thus now be one of the first countries to include streaming films in the category for cinema films. The rule applies to films that have been published on an editor-controlled online service. It must qualify as Norwegian, and the producer must own the rights to the film work. The American blockbuster “Killers of the Flower Moon” is in cinemas these days, but not for long. In a few weeks, the film will be available for streaming. But since the film runs over a week in cinemas, the film is within the rules for a possible Oscar nomination. Photo: Apple Studios / Courtesy of Apple No longer “female” or “male” The Amanda committee has also, “after thorough discussions”, adopted new regulations for the category that applies to best actress and best supporting actor. The categories will now be gender neutral and five shoe players can be nominated against the previous three in each category. Now the categories will be called “Best actress in a leading role” and “Best actress in a supporting role”. Ine Marie Wilmann received the Amanda prize for “Best female supporting actress” for “Krigsseileren”. Next year, the award will be gender neutral. Photo: Jan Kåre Ness / NTB Federation leader of the shoe players’ association, Per Emil Grimstad, tells news that there have been major discussions before the change, but that they think it is right not to distinguish between genders. – The most important thing is to put the shoe player’s performance in focus. He says it will be natural to continue to work for the most representative selection, variety and diversity among the prize recipients, also when it comes to gender.
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