Haugesund’s Norwegian Film Festival announces programme

A traditional display of the new film season in Norway, the 49^th Norwegian Film Festival (August 21-27) will showcase a mix of 2020 films still waiting for theatrical release, due to Covid-19’s impact on distribution, and 2021 films, including a strong line up of local titles and Cannes selections.

Tonje Hardersen, festival director says the large number of local fare in the programme reflects the “glorious year for Norwegian film production”, which peaked in Cannes with the screening of The Innocents at Un Certain Regard, and The Worst Person in the World in competition, for which Renate Reinsve was bestowed a Best Actress award.

Among Norwegian highlights in the main programme, Hardersen mentions the opening film The Innocents, a—ha The movie (among her personal picks as die hard ‘a-ha’ fan) and a record six Norwegian documentaries. All are extremely diverse she says, with topics ranging from the impact of sound (Oh’it Hertz), mental illness (Young and Afraid), feminism and religion (Seyran Atex: Sex, Revolution and Islam), architecture (Mind of Modernism), the impact of Covid-19 (Stay Home), to a portrait of author Thorvald Steen (The Art of Whistling).

“Although Haugesund is mainly a fiction film festival, I believe that in the future, we will continue to focus on Norwegian documentaries as they are of the highest artistic level, and doing so well internationally,” noted Hardersen.

Other standout titles in the main programme include the highly anticipated Danish period drama Margrete-Queen of the North by Charlotte Sieling, this year’s Cannes Palme d’or winner Titane by Julia Ducournau, Berlinale Golden Bear Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn by Radu Jude and Sundance multiple winner Coda by Sian Heder.

Nordic productions are again well represented, through the Nordic Focus showcasing 11 titles (Compartment No 6, The Gravedigger’s Wife, Flee among others), and 10 student films at the Next Nordic Generation strand.

For the fifth consecutive year, the five Nordic films nominated for the coveted Nordic Council Film Prize will be announced in Haugesund (August 24), in collaboration with Nordisk Film & TV Fond, before their screening to the local audience.

The festival will wrap with the Danish comedy Wild Men by Thomas Daneskov.

Regarding this year’s attendance, Hardersen is confident that numbers will be higher than pre-pandemic levels. “We will have a higher attendance than in 2019, so we’re fully back on track” she said. Challenges for her, might actually come from hotel capacity, also under pressure due to the thriving local shipping industry.

Haugesund will also stage several seminars as inspirational platforms and essential local gatherings to tackle burning industry issues.

Saturday August 21^st’s Amanda Conversation will be dedicated to ‘Power and intimacy after covid-19 and #MeToo, Sunday 22nd’s Film & Kino meeting, will deal with post-Covid cinema challenges, Monday 23^rd’s Film Policy Conference will focus on Diversity and Democracy, and the same day a Film Conversation hosted by theologist Odd Kristian Reme will tackle Feminism and Religion. Distinguished panellists will include among others Seyran Ateş -lawyer and iconic female Imam, featured in Nefise Özkal Lorentzen‘s film Seyran Ates, Sex, Revolution and Islam.

The Norwegian Film Festival’s parallel industry meeting New Nordic Films will be held both on-site and online between August 24-27.

For further details, check: www.filmfestivalen.no