Film institute rents luxury villa in Hollywood for Norwegian tax money

The luxurious villa features a swimming pool with stunning views of Los Angeles. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

Norwegian tax money goes to fund a luxury villa in Hollywood linked to the Oscars. But the film industry believes the money will come again.

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– That’s how business is done here, American film producer Ty Duncan tells NTB.

He was present Wednesday night at a lavish reception at the luxury villa that Norway rents in the Hollywood Hills when “the worst man in the world will fight for a statuette for the Oscar.

The guests of honor included Culture Minister Annette Tribergstein (Labour) and the film’s crew, who posed for a photo in front of the pool with the sunset over Los Angeles in the background.

“I think it’s going to pay off, because what you’re really doing is supporting an industry in your country,” Duncan said.

Interior Lenny Kravitz

Stanley House is a stunning modern villa in the Hollywood Hills with stunning views of Los Angeles. In 2018, the house was sold for $33 million, which is 290 million kroner at today’s exchange rate.

Designed by rock star Lenny Kravitz, the interior includes five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. in mode Youtube video The property is referred to as “The Hollywood Rockstar House”.

Solid wine cellar at home. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

The Norwegian Film Institute has rented this house with other Norwegian actors in connection with this week’s Oscars. Among other things, they’ll use it at receptions and press conferences for the crew behind “The Worst Man in the World,” which was nominated in the categories of Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay, and for Lviv Ullman, which received an honorary Oscar.

Director Kjersti Mo at the Norwegian Film Institute thinks renting the mega house during Oscar week is worth it. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

– It’s a logical reason why we do it. Not because we think it’s fun to enjoy luxury. This is work that we hope will pay off for the Norwegian film industry, says director Kjersti Mo at the Norwegian Film Institute in NTB.

In the basement of the villa is furnished with a well-ventilated lounge. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

312.000 kr for three days

She says there will be 130 meetings in the luxury villa. In addition to receptions and press conference.

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In total, the cost of renting the house is 312 thousand kroner for three days. The full budget for the Norwegian Oscars is just under 1 million kroner, of which the government’s non-food items are around 550,000 kroner. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Virke and the Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) also contribute to the funding of the linkage team.

Lots of space in the living room of the villa that Norway rented during Oscar week. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

In the next few days, the house will also be full of film producers from Norway, who will have the opportunity to present their film projects to representatives of the American industry, Tye Duncan said.

The event, dubbed “Fiction Norway”, was supposed to take place at TIFF in Tromsø, but was canceled due to Corona and later moved to Los Angeles.

– Better go to Tromso. I do things like this all the time. No then, listen here. It’s a beautiful home, and a great view, it’s lovely for anyone there, and for us, too, says Duncan, who is used to how things work in Los Angeles.

– like a wave

Anders Danielsen Lie, Eskil Vogt, Renate Reinsve and Joachim Trier by the pool at their luxury Norwegian rental villa during a reception on Wednesday. Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB

The Film Institute hopes that the money they spend on the villa and other events will return to the treasury one day.

A single sale agreement or distribution agreement coming via Fiction Norway in Los Angeles will ensure that Norwegian content is funded beyond the cost of the event, NFI notes in an email to NTB.

For NFI director Kjersti Mo, it was clear that they had to try to use the attention the “worst man in the world” had received to promote the Norwegian film in Hollywood.

– I like to use a wave image. There is now a wave of Norwegian film, but we really want it to last for a very long time.

And the decision to rent the house is fully supported by the woman sitting on the bag of money in the Ministry of Culture. Culture Minister Annette Tretbergstoen (Labour) calls this a “very necessary blueprint”.

Being in a place like that and being able to attract all the big financiers in Hollywood, you wouldn’t if you arranged a meeting at a roadside inn on the corner. Everything in Hollywood is very unconventional, and renting a house like this can seem very unconventional and extravagant, but here it is business as usual, she says.