Norway effect shines over Haugesund’s 54th edition

Situated at the heart of the Fjord Norway region, Haugesund is clearly the place to be – as far as most if not all things concerning Norwegian and Nordic film and film industry at the moment. For it is here that the 54th edition of The Norwegian International Film Festival will play out, 22-28 August, with a rich and shining programme.

Among the 2026 highlights: an opening world premiere by a national Nobel Prize laureate, Beloved (Kjærast), written by Jon Fosse in his screenwriting debut and directed by Erik Poppe, and a good two dozen festival favourites from the latest Cannes and Berlinale editions, including the Palme d’Or-winning Fjord with its director Christian Mungiu in town, as well as Everybody Digs Bill Evans, starring Anders Danielsen Lie as the American jazz pianist phenomenon.

A special focus section brings notable recent Nordic output to the forefront, including Pernille Fischer Christensen’s Unraveled (Vores løfte), John Skog’s Redoubt (Värn), Hlynur Pálmason’s Joan of Arc (Jóhanna af Örk) and Alli Haapasalo’s Tell Everyone (Kerro kaikille). The host nation showcases brand new documentaries on Norway’s own pulp western hero Morgan Kane in The Curse of Kane (Forbannelsen Kane) by Even G. Benestad and August B. Hanssen, the Norwegian black metal band Witch Club Satan in Hex by Maja Holand, and the extraordinary observations by renowned jazz guitarist Jon Larsen concerning cosmic dust in urban environments, We Are Stardust (Vi er stjernestøv) by Elisabeth Rasmussen.

Other highlights include the national Amanda film award ceremony, with the Oscar-winning Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi, 2025) nominated in a record twelve categories, the unveiling of the nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize and screenings of the films, a serving of piping hot work from the Nordic film schools in the Next Nordic Generation section, the Cinemagi section with handpicked children’s films from all over the globe, and a quite continental 100-year birthday celebration Marilyn Monroe, whose mother was shortly married to Haugesund local Martin Edward Mortensen. Monroe is therefor honoured in Haugesund with her very own life-size statue, statuesquely enhancing the waterfront, and also, for this anniversary, a special pastry dish.

To film industry professionals, the true Haugesund diamond remains the New Nordic Films event, presenting its 32nd edition 25-28 August with an expected 300 attendees from around 30 countries, “and growing”, according to the event’s website. Programme Director Gyda Velvin Myklebust has identified a certain increase in sales agents aiming their eye specifically towards Norway these days.

“Of course they have an interest in the full Nordic region, but after not least some recent Cannes successes from the likes of Joachim Trier or Halfdan Ullman Tøndel, they’re now looking for the new Joachim and the new Halfdan,” she reflects in the light of the Norwegian Cannes successes with Sentimental Value (2025) and Armand (2024) ), both handsomely awarded on French soil.

Incidentally and possibly subsequently, France is also the main focus country at both the festival and the industry part of Haugesund this year, created in partnership with the Institut français de Norvège, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the national French film institute CNC and Unifrance.

Four French projects have also been selected for the Nordic Co-Production Market:

- All the Softness in the World (Toute la douceur du monde) by Ayçe Kartal, produced by Damien Megherbi (Les Valseurs)
- Boutés by Jeanne Géli and Loïs Szymczak, produced by Marieke Tricoire (Womanray)
- Borderline (Sur la ligne), directed by Yves Piat (France/Spain), produced by Damien Megherbi (Les Valseurs)
- Temporary Lives (Vies temporaires), directed by Wessam Hachicho, produced by Amélie Quéret (Respiro Productions)

A delegation of about twenty French representatives are expected to attend, and several events during the festival will commemorate the focus, including a special French Touch section, showcasing eight French feature films, a seminar labeled “Insights on Co-Producing with France and The Nordics”, and networking events.

“CNC supported Sentimental Value, which got more Oscar nominations than any film they’ve ever supported. So that Norway is big these days is something we notice, and of course that’s great fun. Not that long ago, we used to be the little brother of Sweden and Denmark, you know.”

Gyda Velvin Myklebust, a seasoned Nordic player for, by her own admission, close to a quarter of a century in the film industry, greatly enjoys working with the Nordic brand of quality these days.

“Things have really fallen into a good place. At Cannes, we’re no longer “Scandinavian Films”, we are “The Five Nordics” – with the clear object to promote the expression “Nordics” out into the world as a strong brand, including and greatly aided by Finland and Iceland. We present a wildly varied output of films, from art house to animation to broader genre films and family films and TV drama, but we have a great synergy effect of being and working together. There’s great interest in us from abroad, exactly as this artistic Nordic entity and its brand of quality. I find my job with this very rewarding and pleasurable.”

Which also goes for this, undeniably, “Norway effect”, rubbing off not only on the film industry, but also, as seen earlier this summer, in the world of football.

“Undeniably. At the time of the football games, I was in Karlovy Vary for the film festival, serving on the jury at their pitch forum. During the welcome speech, they asked ‘Is there anyone from Norway here?’ I raised my hand, and the cheers were earsplitting. We had just won a match.”

So will there be any rowing at this year’s Haugesund?

“You know, that may very well be… I won’t say no more at the moment, but we do have a very good Viking ship in town. They lent it out for the shooting of The Odyssey, but now it’s been returned. So I’ll be damned if there wouldn’t be some rowing, in some form or other.”

Haugesund’s New Nordic Films is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NFTVF). As well as Beloved, Fjord, Unraveled, Redoubt, Tell Everyone, The Curse of Kane, We are Stardust and Sentimental Value. NFTVF acts as secretary for the Nordic Council Film Prize.