War Sailor dominates Amanda nominations 2023

Ole Giæver’s Let the River Flow gets a nod notably for best film, director, screenplay while Gunnar Vikene’s WW2 drama War Sailor has strong entries in the acting categories (all key actors Kristoffer Joner, Pål Sverre Hagen and Ine Marie Wilmann are nominated) and below the line positions.

Kristoffer Borgli’s Cannes Un Certain Regard 2022 selected Sick of Myself which just won best film, director, actress (Kristine Kujath Thorp) and make-up (Izzi Galindo/Dimitra Drakopoulou) at the Norwegian Film Critics Award, gets a chance for a repeat at the Amandas, on top of best screenplay.

Interestingly, two low-budget films by first-time directors - Sister, What Grows Where Land is Sick by Franciska Eliassen and Norwegian Dream by Leiv Igor Devold score big at the shortlists with Eliassen receiving four nods, including best film and director, and Devold for best director, screenplay and lead actor.

In the children’s categories, the animated films Titina and When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town are running against the family film Dancing Queen, while the docs fighting for a top spot are Trude Berge Ottersen’s Johansen Brothers, Fredrik S. Hana’s Code Name: Nagasaki, and Olaug Spissøy’s The Last Film.

The Amanda awards will be handed out in 22 different categories on August 19 at Haugesund’s Concert Hall.

The ceremony will kick-start the 51^st Norwegian International Film Festival unspooling August 19-25.

To see the full Amanda nominations, check https://www.filmfestivalen.no/