Haugesund 2025 showcases Nordic excellence, with a Baltic twist

The Norwegian International Film Festival returns to Haugesund for its 53rd edition from 16–22 August 2025, once again establishing the coastal city as a vital meeting point for Nordic film professionals. This year’s edition shines a spotlight on Nordic productions and co-productions through a rich programme of premieres, industry events and tributes – all while strengthening its ties to the wider region with a special Baltic Focus.

Several Nordic titles are set to feature prominently throughout the wider festival. Opening the event is Daniel Fahre’sThe Battle of Oslo (Blücher), a Norwegian historical thriller centred on Colonel Birger Eriksen and the dramatic events of 9 April 1940. The closing film is Eagles of the Republic, a high-profile co-production between Sweden, France and Denmark directed by Tarik Saleh and starring Fares Fares. Having bowed in Cannes, the political thriller continues Saleh’s acclaimed Cairo trilogy, and marks its Norwegian premiere in Haugesund.

The two pics are part of the festival’s Main Programme, which also includes several festival hits such as Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life (Vie privée), Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Petra Volpe’s Late Shift (Heldin), Richard Linklater’s New Vague, Paolo Genovese’s Madly (Follemente), Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5, and Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Mothers (Jeunes méres). In this strand, the Nordics are repped by Portrait of a Confused Father (Portrett av en forvirret far) by Gunnar Hall Jensen. The Norwegian documentary is an unusual father-son tale shot over 20 years, which sees the filmmaker himself going through the biggest crisis of his life.

In the national spotlight, Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s Loveable (Elskling) leads the Amanda Awards with nine nominations, followed closely by Dreams (Drømmer) by Dag Johan Haugerud and Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel – all three contending for Best Film. Meanwhile, the Amanda-stone honours this year go to beloved actors Lise Fjeldstad and Thorbjørn Harr, and producer John M. Jacobsen will be feted with a tribute screening and masterclass.

Moreover, three Nordic world premieres will enrich this year's offering at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund. Swedish pic The Cat Kingdom (Kattriket) by John Hellberg and Bernhard Rasmusson is a potential cult classic blending Lynchian surrealism and social realism, as an out-of-work engineer stumbles into a bizarre conspiracy. The Danish film Welcome to the Moon (Denmark) by Aske Bang turns a bachelor party into a horror-tinged descent into anxiety and betrayal. Also from Sweden, Lisa Langseth’s The Dance Club (Sweden) follows psychiatric patients who confront trauma through radical dance therapy.

The Norwegian gathering will host New Nordic Films (19–22 August), the key industry platform that continues to champion Nordic collaboration. This year, it takes a decisive step towards regional expansion with a Baltic Focus, developed in partnership with the Estonian Film Institute, the National Film Centre of Latvia, and the Lithuanian Film Centre. The initiative will welcome delegations from all three countries for a series of roundtables, case studies and networking events, aimed at fostering new co-productions and creative partnerships across the Nordic and Baltic regions.

“We are so excited about our Focus on the Baltic countries,” said Gyda Velvin Myklebust, Head of New Nordic Films. “Our aim is to unite the Baltic and Nordic film industries and contribute to the mutual discovery of the amazing talents in both areas. We believe our focus will lead to increased awareness, co-productions and collaboration in the years to come.”

Six promising Baltic projects will take part in the 2025 Nordic Co-Production Market:

• Flood by Jorūnė Greičiūtė (Lithuania), produced by Rūta Petronytė and Justinas Pocius (Smart Casual)
• Silverwhite (Hõbevalg) by Martti Helde (Estonia), produced by Elina Litvinova (Three Brothers)
• Legato by Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen (Latvia), produced by Matīss Kaža (Trickster Pictures)
• The Sorcerer’s Eye (Burvja acs) by Aik Karapetian (Latvia), produced by Inese Boka-Grūbe and Gints Grūbe(Mistrus Media)
• I'm Going to Change the World (Aš Pakeisiu Pasaulj) by Inesa Kurklietytė (Lithuania), produced by Živilė Gallego (Fralita Films)
• Beatrice by Vallo Toomla (Estonia), produced by Evelin Penttilä (Stellar Film)

The New Nordic Films platform will also host the unveiling of the nominees for the 2025 Nordic Council Film Prize, with the announcement presented by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, followed by a public talk with the shortlisted filmmakers. The prestigious award, worth DKK 300,000, celebrates the collaborative spirit of Nordic filmmaking, and is shared equally between director, screenwriter and producer.

All nominated films will be screened during the festival as part of the official Nordic Council Film Prize screenings. Additional screenings will take place in Denmark during Aarhus Film Days, in Greenland during Nuuk International Film Festival, in Finland during Helsinki International Film Festival, in Iceland at Bíó Paradís, and in Sweden at Bio Skandia, in collaboration with the Stockholm International Film Festival.

For the full New Nordic Films programme: CLICK HERE.