31/07/2024 - The 52nd edition of the Norwegian International Film Festival features a panorama of local and international productions along with the Amanda Awards and the nominees of the Next Nordic Generation

Quisling – The Final Days by Erik Poppe, the opening film of the festival

The 52nd edition of the Norwegian International Film Festival is set to run for seven days, from 17 to 23 August, in the seaside city of Haugesund. This year's programme features 70 feature films, 21 short films, and the six nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize, which will be announced in Haugesund on 20 August.

The festival will open on 17 August with the world premiere of Erik Poppe's latest film, Quisling – The Final Days [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Norway), which delves into the last days of Vidkun Quisling, the notorious traitor executed for his collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. It will close with another world premiere, Enough (Norway), Odd Einar Ingebretsen's feature film debut. This film explores the abrupt end of a mother-daughter relationship when the mother declares she no longer wishes to have contact, capturing their final conversation. Enough will premiere on 22 August, with Ingebretsen and stars Ine Wilmann and Anneke von der Lippe attending the red carpet event.

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The two films are part of the festival’s Main Programme, with the selection including: All We Imagine As Light [+see also:
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film profile] by Payal Kapadia (France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg/Italy), Black Tea [+see also:
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film profile] by Abderrahmane Sissako (France/Mauritania/Luxembourg/Taiwan/Côte d'Ivoire), The Count of Monte Cristo [+see also:
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film profile] by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte (France/Belgium), Dying [+see also:
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interview: Matthias Glasner
film profile] by Matthias Glasner (Germany), Flow [+see also:
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interview: Gints Zilbalodis
film profile] by Gints Zilbalodis (Latvia/France/Belgium), The Girl with the Needle [+see also:
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interview: Magnus von Horn
film profile] by Magnus von Horn (Denmark/Poland/Sweden), Gloria! [+see also:
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interview: Margherita Vicario
film profile] by Margherita Vicario (Italy/Switzerland), Lee by Ellen Kuras (UK), Loveable [+see also:
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interview: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
film profile] by Lilja Ingolfsdottir (Norway), The Marching Band [+see also:
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interview: Emmanuel Courcol
film profile] by Emmanuel Courcol (France), Parthenope [+see also:
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film profile] by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy/France), Solitude [+see also:
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interview: Ninna Pálmadóttir
film profile] by Ninna Pálmadóttir (Iceland/Slovakia/France), Stormskerry Maja [+see also:
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film profile] by Tiina Lymi (Finland), The Substance [+see also:
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film profile] by Coralie Fargeat (UK/USA/France), There's Still Tomorrow [+see also:
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film profile] by Paola Cortellesi (Italy), When the Light Breaks [+see also:
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interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] by Rúnar Rúnarsson (Iceland/Netherlands/Croatia/France), Widow Clicquot by Thomas Napper (USA), and Wild Diamond [+see also:
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interview: Agathe Riedinger
film profile] by Agathe Riedinger (France).

As every year, the festival will feature the Amanda Awards ceremony, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Held in the Festiviteten Concert Hall in Haugesund on Friday, 23 August, the awards will honour achievements in 21 categories. Leading the nominations is Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex [+see also:
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interview: Dag Johan Haugerud
film profile] with ten nods, followed by The Arctic Convoy by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken and Handling the Undead [+see also:
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film profile] by Thea Hvistendahl, each with six. A Happy Day [+see also:
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film profile] by Hisham Zaman and Listen Up! by Kaveh Tehrani have garnered five nominations each, while Ibelin [+see also:
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interview: Benjamin Ree
film profile] by Benjamin Ree rounds out the top contenders with four.

In keeping with Haugesund's tradition, the five nominees for the Nordic Council Cinema Prize will be announced, with the directors attending in person. The Next Nordic Generation is a competition programme designed to highlight emerging talents in filmmaking, showcasing top graduation films from the top film schools across the Nordic region. This year's jury comprises director Gunnbjörg Gunnarsdóttir, director Fredrik S Hana, and producer Elisa Pirir. The winner of the Next Nordic Generation Award will receive a prize of 20,000 NOK, sponsored by CAPA.

The Audentia Award 2024 jury has also been revealed. This award, which includes a cash prize of €30,000, is part of Eurimages' initiative to foster greater gender equality in the European film industry. The jury features Norwegian director and actress of Pakistani descent Iram Haq, Ståle Stein Berg, Head of Development at Norwegian production company Maipo, and Benedicte Danielsen, production consultant for the Norwegian Film Institute and Eurimages representative.