Mer Film

Mer Film is the producer and distributor of SENTIMENTAL VALUE, THE UGLY STEPSISTER, A SAMI WEDDING, WAR SAILOR, LET THE RIVER FLOW, GRITT, DISCO and WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY.

In 2011, producer Maria Ekerhovd was experiencing a minor existential crisis while walking with a stroller in Tromsø. Five years earlier, her career as a producer had gotten off to a flying start when the short film SNIFFER won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and since then she had produced several feature films for various companies. But if there was any point in her continuing to make films, she had to start an independent production company that was guided by a single goal: to make the best possible, artistically ambitious films.

Mer Film was established by Maria that same year, and since then the company has grown into a small group with offices in Tromsø, Bergen, and Oslo. Today, it is run by CEO Siv Dyb Wangsmo and marketing manager Øistein S. Refseth. In 2014, Mer Film also started a distribution company to get closer to its audience and improve the way of telling stories.

Although the company has grown, its goal stays the same: to remain an independent and sustainable company that is passionate about cinema and makes films that leave a mark, spark debate, and make a difference in people's lives.

We do this by being a creative partner to the directors we work with, developing new filmmakers through our talent programs, and working consciously to engage a large audience. We have a broad international network and good partners throughout Europe—and we are constantly looking to broaden our reach.

Some of our milestones:

Producer Maria Ekerhovd won Eurimages' co-production award for best European producer in 2021 and has been named one of the most influential women in international film by The Hollywood Reporter three years in a row.
By the end of 2024, Mer Film had produced three feature films, including Joachim Trier's sixth feature film, and a TV series. The budget for the films and TV series in total were 300 million Norwegian kroner.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE was awarded the jury's Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. This is the first time a Norwegian film has won this prestigious award at Cannes.
In 2025, THE UGLY STEP-SISTER premiered at the Sundance film festival and Berlin film festival.
With WAR SAILOR, we made the most expensive Norwegian feature film to date. The film was the most watched Norwegian film in cinemas in 2022 and was sold to Netflix globally.
We were the Norwegian co-producer of the documentary FLUKT, which was nominated for three Oscars in 2022, and the box office hit MIRAKELET I GULLSPÅNG in 2024.
In 2023, the Sami feature film ELLOS EATNU - LA ELVA LEVE won the Norwegian film award Amanda for best film - and its release became part of a Sami uprising.