Gersh Signs Norwegian-Pakistani Filmmaker Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen, Director Of First Scandi Snapchat Show ‘Semester’ & BBC Drama ‘In The Dark’

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EXCLUSIVE: The Gersh Agency continues to bolster its international talent roster with the signing of Norwegian-Pakistani filmmaker Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen, whose latest production Semester is the first Scandinavian drama on Snapchat Shows.

Norwegian youth series Semester was originally launched on its own site but has logged millions of views on Snapchat’s drama platform after being released earlier this month. The series has had viewers in 180 countries worldwide and was previously sold to Scandi broadcasters NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark and Sweden’s TV4.

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The underground hit follows a teenager (Herman Tømmeraas, star of upcoming Norwegian Netflix original Ragnarok) who returns to Oslo after dropping out of school and skipping town to travel to Paris. According to Rolfsen, who wrote and produced the series with Curry Film partner Alexander Johansson, 60% of the drama’s viewers are under 25 and almost 90% watch the series on mobile.

Rolfsen is also known for co-directing four-part BBC One crime-drama In The Dark, starring MyAnna Buring and written by Danny Brockelhurst, action-drama movie Izzat, which scored five nominations at Norway’s Amanda Awards, slacker comedy film The Last Joint Venture, Norwegian TV series Taxi and and Toronto Hot Docs title Recruiting For Jihad.

He is repped by The Dench Arnold Agency in the UK.

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