Heine Bakkeid is the winner of the 2021 Riverton Prize for his novel St. Avenger, the fourth installment in the Thorkild Aske series. The very prestigious crime writing award is annually given to the best Norwegian crime novel.

The jury presented the following motivation:

“Both when it comes to narration, plot development and character portrayals, the winner novel is a prime example of Norwegian crime writing at its very best. Same goes for the portrayal of the protagonist’s struggles with his great mental health obstacles – being a damaged, vulnerable, and depressed policeman who is dismissed and robbed of all honor and needs to fight to keep going in life.

Very rarely a crime author comes along that with his or her very first book enters the top echelon of Norwegian crime writing. (…) The books about Thorkild Aske have captivated readers and impressed crime connoisseurs from his debut up until the book that now receives the 2021 award – Heine Bakkeid’s St. Avenger. /…/

With access to much of what happened five years back, we as readers know more than Aske, without that ever taking away from the excitement, but we are equally fooled by the red herrings as he is before everything falls into place. The composition itself contributes a lot to the unique strength of this novel. Not simply due to the two timelines with different types of narration, but also because there are mysterious text messages, diary pages, cursive parts with dreams and fantasies – all coming together in a narrative with a breathtaking drive taking us through dark deeds, broken dreams, and tragic lives. /…/

[St. Avenger] ought to be read, slowly; not the least that goes for the chapters about the events of the past that are crucial for everything unfolding in the present time. Everything matters, everything is connected. And everything is well-composed and well-written. Thus, it’s with great pleasure we announce that the 2021 Riverton Award goes to Heine Bakkeid for his novel St. Avenger.

It is now official that SVT has ordered six episodes of The Detective from Beledweyne, a new crime drama created and written by Aron Levander.

A young girl disappears close to a refugee detention center. The lawyer Tilda Renström is about to deport a Somali refugee, but realizes that he has a good eye for crime and clues. Renström was recently fired from her job as a prosecutor, and now she sees an opportunity to use the mind of the refugee to solve the case of the missing girl. But there is a catch: he wants something in return.

The Detective from Beledweyne is produced by B-Reel Films, stars Malin Levanon and Nasir Dhagole, with Zaida Bergroth directing. Filming is set to begin in May with a planned release in spring 2023.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK has commissioned So Long, Marianne, a major new drama series from UK-based Buccaneer Media and Oslo-based Redpoint Productions. The 8 x 45-minute English & Norwegian-language series is based on true story of Marianne Ihlen and her relationship with iconic singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.
The couple’s stories take place across the world, travelling from Marianne’s home in Oslo, then London, New York and Montreal, with the majority of the series set on the Greek island of Hydra, where Marianne and Leonard lived during the 1960s.

Developed by Ingeborg Klyve, Øystein Karlsen and Tony Wood and written for the screen by Redpoint’s Øystein Karlsen, the series will be co-produced together with Cineflix Media-backed Connect3.

“We’re delighted to be building on our longstanding relationship with Redpoint. Developing this series has created a world audiences will love diving into. NRK has supported us from the very beginning and it’s fantastic to be producing with them. We look forward to announcing the cast in the very near future” says Buccaneer Media joint CEOs Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart.

“It feels like the way the world is right now, a series that celebrates life and love, with a core about finding your way in life, is needed more than ever,” adds series creator, Redpoint’s Øystein Karlsen.

NRK’s Furevold-Boland and Head of Content Commissioning and Sales Petter Wallace says writer Karlsen has “shown in his previous projects that he can create original dramas that are both exciting and emotional. We believe this project has the potential to become a timeless drama with universal appeal – it is about life and the pursuit of happiness.”

The series will start production in February 2023.

Click the ‘Read more’ button below to read more in Deadline Hollywood.

The winners of the TVPrisen Awards has been announced, and the acclaimed family drama Cry Wolf was voted ‘Best Long Form Series.’ Cry Wolf, created by Maja Jul Larsen, quickly became a hit among viewers and critics alike and last year Jul Larsen also emerged as the winner of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for her “outstanding writing of a Nordic drama series.” 

The TVPrisen Awards celebrate the best Danish TV programmes of the year, acknowledged by the local TV industry.

The nominations are out for this year’s New York Radio Awards and the successful audio drama The Deep written and directed by Henrik Björn for Radio Sweden (Sveriges Radio), is shortlisted for ‘Best Drama Podcast.’

The Radio Awards is one of the world’s most prestigious radio awards and receives entries from radio stations, networks, and independent producers from over 30 countries around the globe. The mission of the competition is to honor the achievements of the men and women who make up the global audio storytelling community.

Today marks the premiere of Daniel Espinosa’s Morbius – the latest movie in Sony’s Spiderverse and which features one of Spider-Man’s most notable villains.

Exclusively released in cinemas today, the film follows one of the most compelling and conflicted characters of the Marvel characters, the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius (played by Oscar winner Jared Leto). Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed.

Espinosa directed from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless and the movie stars Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith and Al Madrigal.

Tarik Saleh’s new movie The Contractor premieres today in US theatres.

Starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster, The Contractor tells the story of discharged U.S. Special Forces sergeant James Harper (Pine) who joins a private contracting organization alongside his best friend (Foster) and under the command of a fellow veteran in order to support his family. Overseas on a covert mission, Harper must evade those trying to kill him while making his way back home.

Written by J.P. Davis, the movie also stars Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Florian Munteanu and Kiefer Sutherland.

The incredibly successful Netflix series Snabba Cash has received 4 nominations for Sweden’s Ria Awards 2022, including ‘Best Scripted Series’.

Snabba Cash is written by Oskar Söderlund and directed by Jesper Ganslandt, both creators and show runners of the series. Jens Lapidus is the author behind the internationally bestselling novel that inspired the series.

The Ria Awards draws attention to and rewards the best creators, authors and employees in the Swedish television production industry. The awards ceremony will take place on May 17 at Lilla Cirkus in Stockholm.

The Series Mania Festival has unveiled its champions and The Dark Heart triumphed in the International Panorama section, receiving the top prize for ‘Best Series’.

The intense drama thriller The Dark Heart is created by Gustav Möller and Oskar Söderlund, starring Aliette Opheim and Gustav Lindh.