MIPCOM Spotlight: Nordic World

CANNES: The titles that Nordic World is highlighting for MIPCOM buyers have subjects that open the window to worlds that have universal resonance.

CQB: Close Quarter Battle is one such offering. “Sadly, combat situations are part of the human condition, which makes CQB: Close Quarter Battle as relevant to audiences in Norway as in Nepal,” says Espen Huseby, the CEO of Nordic World. “At the other end of the spectrum, Dexpedition has all the ingredients—sex, drugs, fashion, travel, clubbing—likely to appeal to the world’s 15- to 35-year-olds. And The Nile Quest also focuses on a subject of universal appeal, the gigantic waterway system that has had such a profound influence on human civilization.”

Huseby says his goal is to “come home with a full order book” after the market. “MIPCOM is also about the softer aspects of business—exchanging ideas, tracking trends, assessing market sentiment, building brands, meeting old friends and making new ones…. In today’s virtual world, there’s no substitute for the real thing.”

Good value for money and strong ideas and track records are what broadcasters are after in times of recession, according to Jan Salling, the COO and sales director of Nordic World. He believes that Nordic World has a catalogue that can deliver on those requirements. One of the titles the company is offering is Rockstar Home Invasion, from Finland’s Rabbit Films. The show follows a rock star who moves in with a family and tries to help them resolve a problem. Free Fallin, from Norway’s Tellus Works, features a pair of celebrities who compete in extreme sports challenges. The series 4 Star Home Makeover, from Aito Media in Finland, shows celebrity homes that are being fixed up.

“We hope to once again be able to bring down one or more of the most talked about new formats and be part of the MIPCOM buzz,” says Salling. “And then we obviously hope to be able to close some good deals on the back of that buzz.”