31/07/2025 - The Norwegian city will once again become a hub for Nordic and international cinema, presenting a rich programme of premieres, competitions and tributes from 16 to 22 August

The 53rd edition of the Norwegian International Film Festival is set to run for seven days, from 16 to 22 August, in the seaside city of Haugesund. This year's programme features 75 feature films and a wide range of events, including the New Nordic Films market, the Next Nordic Generation competition and the Amanda Awards ceremony. The festival will once again serve as a key meeting point for Nordic and international film professionals, offering premieres, masterclasses and special tributes that highlight both emerging voices and established talent in contemporary cinema.

The festival will open with the world premiere of The Battle of Oslo (Norway) on 17 August. Daniel Fahre’s historical war thriller portrays Colonel Birger Eriksen’s decisive actions during the dramatic events of 9 April 1940, when the fate of the nation rested on his judgment as commander of the Oscarsborg Fortress. The film stars Bjørn Sundquist as Eriksen, alongside Jon Øigarden, Fridtjov Såheim, Øystein Røger, and others. Closing the festival will be Eagles of the Republic [+see also:
film review
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interview: Tarik Saleh
film profile] (Sweden/France/Denmark), the latest entry in Tarik Saleh’s Cairo trilogy. The political thriller, starring Fares Fares as Egypt’s most beloved actor entangled in a government propaganda project, had its world premiere in Cannes and will mark its Norwegian premiere in Haugesund.

The two titles are part of the festival’s Main Programme, which also includes A Private Life [+see also:
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film profile] by Rebecca Zlotowski (France), Alpha [+see also:
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film profile] by Julia Ducournau (France/Belgium), The Balconettes [+see also:
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interview: Noémie Merlant
film profile] by Noémie Merlant (France), Christy [+see also:
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interview: Brendan Canty
film profile] by Brendan Canty (Ireland/UK), The Great Lillian Hall by Michael Cristofer (USA), Köln 75 [+see also:
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interview: Ido Fluk
film profile] by Ido Fluk (Germany/Poland/Belgium), Late Shift [+see also:
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interview: Petra Volpe
film profile] by Petra Volpe (Switzerland/Germany), Leave One Day [+see also:
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film profile] by Amélie Bonnin (France), The Life of Chuck by Mike Flanagan (USA), Madly [+see also:
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film profile] by Paolo Genovese (Italy), New Wave [+see also:
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film profile] by Richard Linklater (France), Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck (France/USA), Peacock [+see also:
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interview: Bernhard Wenger
film profile] by Bernhard Wenger (Austria/Germany), Portrait of a Confused Father by Gunnar Hall Jensen (Norway), The Portuguese House [+see also:
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film profile] by Avelina Prat (Spain/Portugal), Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer by Tolga Karaçelik (USA/Turkey), Sorry, Baby by Eva Victor (USA), and Young Mothers [+see also:
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interview: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
film profile] by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Belgium/France).

As every year, the festival will host the Amanda Awards ceremony, now in its 41st edition. The awards will honour achievements in 21 categories. Leading the nominations is Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s Loveable [+see also:
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interview: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
film profile] with nine nods, followed by Dreams [+see also:
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interview: Dag Johan Haugerud
film profile] by Dag Johan Haugerud and Armand [+see also:
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interview: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
interview: Renate Reinsve
film profile] by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, each with seven. These three titles are also competing for Best Film. Other notable contenders include Quisling – The Final Days [+see also:
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film profile] by Erik Poppe and The Ugly Stepsister [+see also:
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film profile] by Emilie Blichfeldt.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Mona Fastvold will be present in Haugesund, where her latest film The Brutalist [+see also:
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film profile] opens the architecture-focused Norwegian ArchFest, which this year explores the theme AR__TECTURE – No Future Architecture Without AI. Fastvold, who co-wrote the film with director Brady Corbet, will also appear at the Amanda Awards, where the film is nominated for Best Foreign Theatrical Release, before heading to Venice for the world premiere of her new feature The Testament of Ann Lee.

Meanwhile, Haugesund will honour Norwegian acting icons Lise Fjeldstad and Thorbjørn Harr with their own Amanda-stones on the city’s Walk of Fame, recognising their extensive contributions to stage and screen. This year’s festival will further pay tribute to veteran producer John M. Jacobsen, hosting a masterclass and a special screening of the mythical mockumentary Troll Hunter [+see also:
film review
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interview: Andre Øvredal
film profile].

The unveiling of the 2025 Nordic Council Film Prize nominees will also take place in Haugesund, with the announcement made by Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The prestigious DKK 300,000 (€40,200) award, shared equally between the director, screenwriter and producer, celebrates the collaborative nature of filmmaking and honours a Nordic-produced feature film. The nominated titles will be presented during the opening of New Nordic Films, followed by a public conversation with all the filmmakers.