"It's back to basics", said Gunnar Johan Løvvik, Director of the Norwegian International Film Festival and head of the Amanda Committee. "We are going to have the same categories as last year, plus the People's Amanda. A lot of people from the industry complained in July about our decision last June to create one single award: the People's Award and Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release and in particular, about the fact that an audience was going to select this year's best Norwegian film and not a jury. So we agreed to keep the 10 films selected for the People's Amanda and select three new films for Best Norwegian Film of the year. It was not a problem at all for us. So we now have 14 categories in total for this year's Amanda Awards."
Reprise and Sons, produced respectively by 4½ Production and Torden Film, are leading the Amanda nominations with five nominations each (including Best Director and Best Script), while Mirush produced by 4½ is running in three categories in total. The Amanda Awards ceremony will be held on August 17 at Haugesund's Concert Hall, one day before the opening of the 35th Norwegian Film Festival.