Mediametka launched Northern Script for the first time in May 2017. Northern Script was developed as a new screenwriting competition for 18-23-year-old Nordic writers. Every Nordic country received invitation to the competition but at the end of the program there were participants from Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The program was developed to be delivered in collaboration with Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival every November. National jury selected six scripts to script training in Oulu. The finalists were Maiju Alander (FIN), Juuso Kuusisto (FIN), Mikko Peltotupa (FIN), Veera Lamminpää and Janne Vanhanen (FIN), Lisa Elofsson (SWE) and Grettir Einarsson (NOR).
During the script training event, the participants were given several different masterclasses, learning from more experienced screenwriters. In script workshops the participants and professionals discussed film production and working in film and TV in the Nordic region. They were also introduced different script trianing programs in different Nordic film schools.
At the end of the training program, jury members Hanna Bergholm and Saara Cantell selected Mikko Peltotupa as the winner of the Northern Script competition with his script ”Stranger”. Peltotupa was awarded with a stipend of 300 euros to attend either Kino Cabaret -festival by Euphoria Borealis or NUFF Festival in Norway. Honourable mentions were given to Maija Alander with the script ”Anytime soon” and Veera Lamminpää and Janne Vanhanen with ”Angora Cat”.
First Northern Script was organized for the first time by Mediametka in collaboration with Euphoria Borealis.
Finalists:
Finland
Maiju Alander, ”Anytime soon”
Juuso Kuusisto, ”Pohjolan painajainen”
Mikko Peltotupa, ”Stranger”
Veeran Lamminpää & Janne Vanhanen, ”Angoracat”
Sweden
Lisa Elofsson, ”Postmodern psykos”
Norway
Grettir Einarsson, ”Coffee cup”
The jury of the Northern Script competition 2017:
Hanna Bergholm
Finnish movie director
Saara Cantell
Finnish movie director and screenwriter
Pre-selection jury:
Jukka Ahola
Essi Pulkkinen
Hannaleena Hauru
Old logo of Northern Script program