It is seen as one of the government’s main responsibilities to ensure that in a small country such as Norway there should be a range of films and other audio-visual products that reflect its history, culture and language. In the latest white paper on Norwegian film policy (2015), the present government outlines its goals:
- Ensure a large and diverse film production of high quality.
- Ensure the distributions of films to all citizens.
- Ensure a high audience on Norwegian film and TV series both domestic and abroad.
- Encourage the development of a professional and profitable film industry.
There are several schemes of state support for the film industry administered by the Norwegian Film Institute. This includes support for films, tv-series, short-films, documentaries, script development, film export etc.
Recently (2016), the Norwegian Film Institute introduced a new incentive scheme aiming to increase the number of international films and series produced in Norway.
Digitalization has also had several impacts on the film industry, the film policy and the way in which Norwegians watch movies. All cinemas in Norway have been digitalized giving the opportunity for most cinemas to present new movies simultaneously. Further digitalization has caused the extinction of video rental shops. Simultaneously, the number of subscribers to streaming services such as Netflix and HBO has increased significantly.
Digitalization has also called for a more format-neutral support system. This is emphasised particularly in the latest white paper (2015).
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