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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Tarik Saleh
ficha de la película] (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 [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Rebecca Zlotowski (France), Alpha [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Julia Ducournau (France/Belgium), The Balconettes [+lee también:
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entrevista: Noémie Merlant
ficha de la película] by Noémie Merlant (France), Christy [+lee también:
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entrevista: Brendan Canty
ficha de la película] by Brendan Canty (Ireland/UK), The Great Lillian Hall by Michael Cristofer (USA), Köln 75 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ido Fluk
ficha de la película] by Ido Fluk (Germany/Poland/Belgium), Late Shift [+lee también:
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entrevista: Petra Volpe
ficha de la película] by Petra Volpe (Switzerland/Germany), Leave One Day [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Amélie Bonnin (France), The Life of Chuck by Mike Flanagan (USA), Madly [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Paolo Genovese (Italy), New Wave [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Richard Linklater (France), Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck (France/USA), Peacock [+lee también:
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entrevista: Bernhard Wenger
ficha de la película] by Bernhard Wenger (Austria/Germany), Portrait of a Confused Father by Gunnar Hall Jensen (Norway), The Portuguese House [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Luc y Jean-Pierre Dardenne
ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
ficha de la película] with nine nods, followed by Dreams [+lee también:
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entrevista: Dag Johan Haugerud
ficha de la película] by Dag Johan Haugerud and Armand [+lee también:
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entrevista: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
entrevista: Renate Reinsve
ficha de la película] by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, each with seven. These three titles are also competing for Best Film. Other notable contenders include Quisling – The Final Days [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Erik Poppe and The Ugly Stepsister [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Emilie Blichfeldt.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Mona Fastvold will be present in Haugesund, where her latest film The Brutalist [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] 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 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Andre Øvredal
ficha de la película].

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.