For the first time, Norway's Oscar committee has short-listed three films that will run for this year's Academy Awards nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. The films are Happy, Happy by Anne Sewitsky and the upcoming Oslo, August 31st by Joachim Trier and Sons of Norway by Jens Lien, all supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Sewitsky's feature debut Happy, Happy won the Narrative World Cinema Jury Award in Sundance last January and Magnolia Pictures will release It this autumn in the US. The film, produced by MAIPO, opened in Norway last November. 

Oslo, August 31st had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard. The existential drama by the director of Reprise has also been selected for Toronto's Vanguard section next month. The Motlys film opens in Norway on - naturally - August 31st.
 
Sons of Norway the latest film by The Bothersome Man director Jens Lien has just been selected for Toronto's Contemporary World Cinema Programme. The comedy drama about a father and son relationship swinging to the sound of punk rock music is based on Nikolaj Frobenius' eponymous novel, The Friland Film production will open domestically on September 9.

The final Norwegian Oscar candidate will be announced on September 3, 2011