SVT names new drama chief

Swedish pubcaster SVT has appointed the CEO of the Nordisk Film & TV Fund as its new commissioning editor for drama and documentary films.

Hanne Palmquist

Danish-born Hanne Palmquist will join SVT on November 1 this year, filling the post vacated by Peter Gustafsson last autumn following success with series such as The Bridge.

Palmquist has been CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fund since January 2007. Before that she was head of international sales at TV2 World in Denmark and prior credits include producer at Danish prodco Fine & Mellow and Nordic acquisitions manager at Nordisk Film.

Her departure from Nordisk Film & TV Fund, which has an annual budget of DKK80m (US$14m) for Nordic film and TV projects, leaves the Oslo-based financing organisation on the hunt for a new chief.

Palmquist takes up her new role SVT at a time when Scandi drama remains hot on the international market, with Real Humans selling to a number of territories and FX in the US remaking The Bridge, while a French-English version is in the works from Canal+ in France and Sky in the UK.

“SVT is one of the key media players in the Nordic region and some of their latest TV dramas such as Real Humans and The Bridge have been major international hits. I’m very much looking forward to joining the SVT team,” said Palmquist.

“Hanne has the experience, vision and personality needed to successfully initiate and foster good relationships and projects together with the drama community both in the Nordic region as well as internationally,” added Annie Wegelius, SVT director of programmes, who is following Gustafsson out the door, leaving in September this year.

Claus Ladegaard, chairman of the board at Nordisk Film & TV Fund and head of production and development at the Danish Film Institute said of Palmquist’s departure: “She has with great strength and enthusiasm developed the Nordic collaboration within production and distribution these last seven years, and been part of the overall progress for film and TV from the region. She is leaving the fund in a very good shape. The board will start the search for her successor this week.”