Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value emerged as the big winner at the 42nd edition of the Amanda Awards, held on Saturday evening in Haugesund as part of the 54th Norwegian International Film Festival (22-28 August). The film collected eight trophies, including Best Norwegian Film, Best Director for Trier and Best Screenplay for Trier and Eskil Vogt. It also won in four technical categories, with Kasper Tuxen Andersen taking home Best Cinematography, Olivier Bugge Coutté Best Editing, Jørgen Stangebye Larsen Best Production Design and Trine Morland Best Make-up Design.

The haul confirms the strength of Trier’s acclaimed family drama, which premiered in competition at Cannes, won big at the European Film Awards (see the news) and went on to become Norway’s submission for the Academy Awards. The film’s success at the Amandas comes after it led this year’s nominees with 12 nods, putting it in contention to surpass the record of nine awards won by Dag Johan Haugerud’s Beware of Children in 2020.

The acting awards went to two performers from different generations of Norwegian cinema. Pia Tjelta claimed Best Performance in a Leading Role for her work as Eva in Don’t Call Me Mama by Nina Knag, securing her her second Amanda. Meanwhile, Academy Award nominee Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas won her first Amanda for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for Sentimental Value. The Award for Newcomer of the Year went to Anna Drakopoulou Sverrisdóttir for her performance in Brightly Shining, which also received the Best Costume Design Award for Alva Brosten.

Children’s cinema was represented by A Mouse Hunt for Christmas, Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken’s festive adventure, which won Best Children’s Film and Best Visual Effects, with Fredrik Fottland, Andreas Hylander, Jonas Larsen and Simon Jansson sharing the latter prize. In the documentary category, Monica Strømdahl’s Flophouse America took Best Documentary, while Aasne Vaa Greibrokk’s Fata Morgana was named Best Short Film.

The Best Foreign-language Film Amanda went to Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, distributed in Norway by Warner Bros Discovery. The People’s Amanda, determined by an online public vote, went to Daniel Fahre’s The Battle of Oslo, produced by Knut Inge Solbu. Music was represented by Ola Kvernberg, who collected Best Original Score for Rally from Paris to the Pyramids. The film also earned Johannes Dekko the gong for Best Sound Design.

The Amanda Committee’s Golden Clapper went to casting directors Mette Holme Nielsen and Jannecke Bervell, recognised for their respective careers and contributions to the professionalisation of casting in Norwegian film and television. Nielsen has worked on productions including Kitchen Stories, The Bothersome Man, The Half Brother, U - July 22 and Quisling: The Final Days, while Bervell’s credits include Elling, Buddy, Max Manus: Man of War, Headhunters, Kon-Tiki and 12th Man.

The Amanda Committee’s Honorary Award was presented to Norwegian actor Per Christian Ellefsen, whose career spans theatre, film and television. Best known internationally and nationally for his portrayal of the title character in the film trilogy beginning with Elling, Ellefsen was previously nominated for an Amanda for the title role in the 2001 film. The award also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Elling this year.

Here is the complete list of winners at the 42nd Amanda Awards:

Best Norwegian Film
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier (Norway/France/Denmark/Germany)

Best Director
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

Best Performance in a Leading Role
Pia Tjelta – Don’t Call Me Mama (Norway)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

Newcomer of the Year
Anna Drakopoulou Sverrisdóttir – Brightly Shining (Norway/Netherlands/USA)

Best Documentary
Flophouse America – Monica Strømdahl (Norway)

Best Children’s Film
A Mouse Hunt for Christmas – Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken (Norway)

Best Short Film
Fata Morgana – Aasne Vaa Greibrokk (Norway)

Best Foreign-language Film
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

Best Screenplay
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

Best Cinematography
Kasper Tuxen Andersen – Sentimental Value

Best Editing
Olivier Bugge Coutté – Sentimental Value

Best Sound Design
Johannes Dekko – Rally from Paris to the Pyramids (Norway)

Best Original Score
Ola Kvernberg – Rally from Paris to the Pyramids

Best Costume Design
Alva Brosten – Brightly Shining

Best Make-up Design
Trine Morland – Sentimental Value

Best Production Design/Scenography
Jørgen Stangebye Larsen – Sentimental Value

Best Visual Effects
Fredrik Fottland, Andreas Hylander, Jonas Larsen, Simon Jansson – A Mouse Hunt for Christmas

The People’s Amanda Audience Award
The Battle of Oslo – Daniel Fahre (Norway)

The Honorary Amanda
Per Christian Ellefsen

The Golden Clapper
Mette Holme Nielsen, Jannecke Bervell