The Nordic Council Film Prize administered by Nordisk Film & TV Fond on behalf of the Nordic Council, will be handed out tonight live on stage at Stockholm Concert Hall, by actor Lene Cecilia Sparrok (Sami Blood).

The DKK 350,000 cash award will be shared between the director, writer(s) and producer(s) of this year’s nominees Queen of Hearts by May el Toukhy (Denmark), Aurora by Miia Tervo (Finland), A White, White Day by Hlynur Pálmason (Iceland), Blind Spot by Tuva Novotny (Norway) and Reconstructing Utøya, documentary film by Carl Javér (Sweden).

Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s CEO Liselott Forsman took advantage of the ‘Best of Norden’ platform at Stockholm’s Bio Victor yesterday, to underline the importance of the award and particular relevance of this year’s nominees. The event was attended by Queen of Hearts’ el Toukhy, writer Maren Louise Käehne, producer Caroline Blanco, actor Gustav Lindh, Aurora’s Tervo, producer Max Malka, A White, White Day’s Pálmason, producer Anton Máni Svansson, Blind Spot’s Novotny, producer Elisabeth Kvithyll as well as Reconstructing Utøya’s Javér and producer Fredrik Lange.

Forsman said: “With this year’s Nordic Council Film Prize, we can praise the greater gender representation with three out of five nominated films directed by women, and mix of standout new and established voices. At the same time, the nominees have already been celebrated. Together they have attended close to 80 festivals, received more than 30 international awards and sold to more than 20 territories outside the Nordic region.”

She goes one: "Our time can rightly be perceived as chaotic because of all the news and unfortunately as well fake-news that engulf our daily life. But part of a film’s magic is to look deeper than we can through facts and logics. This applies to the four nominated fiction films and the documentary film."  "These are five films that stay long with us, that bring in-depth insight and should be seen preferably by as many people as possible. Distribution is therefore essential to strengthen the Nordic industry, and also to allow films - in particular those that have something to say - to reach the largest audience possible."

Addressing the teams of the five nominees, Forsman concluded: “With all my heart, I would like to congratulate the nominees in all categories for making us winners and richer inside and thus the world a little better place.”

Tonight’s Nordic Council prizes ceremony will be hosted by Jessica Gedin, in the presence of Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Besides the Nordic Council Film Prize, other Nordic awards will go to literature, children and young people’s literature, music, and the environment.

To watch tonight’s live transmission on SVT click here: www.svtplay.se