The Nominees for Nordic Council Film Prize 2026

Five feature films and one documentary nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize 2026

Photo: Nordic Council Film Prize

One day ahead of the nomination ceremony in Haugesund, 21 filmmakers are officially announced as nominees for the prominent prize. This year’s titles are nationally and/or internationally recognised, with one film winning an Oscar.

Established in 2002 and awarded annually since 2005, the Nordic Council Film Prize is one of the region’s most esteemed cultural honours, awarded to a Nordic-produced feature film or documentary with cinema distribution. On Monday 24 August, the six nominated films for 2026 were announced by the Film Prize’s secretary Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The nomination ceremony takes place at the Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund Tuesday 25 August.

The 2026 nominees:

• Beginnings (Begyndelser)
  Nominated director: Jeanette Nordahl
  Nominated writers: Rasmus Birch, Jeanette Nordahl
  Nominated producers: Eva Jakobsen, Katrin Pors, Mikkel Jersin
  
• Birita
  Nominated director/writer: Búi Dam
  Nominated producer: Jón Hammer, Durita Sumberg, Mark Steele
  
• A Light That Never Goes Out (Jossain on valo joka ei sammu)
  Nominated director/writer: Lauri-Matti Parppei
  Nominated producer: Ilona Tolmunen
  
• The Love That Remains (Ástin sem eftir er)
  Nominated director/writer: Hlynur Pálmason
  Nominated producers: Anton Máni Svansson, Katrin Pors
  
• Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi)
  Nominated director: Joachim Trier
  Nominated writers: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
  Nominated producers: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
  
• Kevlar Soul (Kevlarsjäl)
  Nominated director: Maria Eriksson-Hecht
  Nominated writers: Pelle Rådström
  Nominated producers: Ronny Fritsche, Lizette Jonjic

Greenland did not submit a film for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize. 

At the official nomination ceremony in Haugesund the nominated filmmakers meet each other and introduce their films to the festival audience.

The members of the Nordic Film Prize 2026 jury are Jacob Ludvigsen (DK), Jan Berg Jørgensen (FO), Marjo Pipinen (FI), Jóna Finnsdóttir (IS), Anne Gjelsvik (NO) and Jonas Holmberg (SE) .

Screenings of the nominated films will be arranged in the whole Nordic region as follows: Haugesund-Norway (25-27.08), Nuuk-Greenland (16-19.09), Helsinki-Finland (17-27.09) Aarhus-Denmark (01-08.10), Tórshavn-Faroe Islands (07-09.10), Stockholm-Sweden (08-10.10), and Reykjavik-Iceland (13-18.10). The screenings outside Haugesund are organised by Nuuk International Film Festival, Helsinki International Film Festival, Aarhus Series & Film Festival, the Nordic House in Tórshavn, Bio Skandia and Stockholm International Film Festival, and Bíó Paradis and Stockfish Film & Industry Festival.

Interviews with all the nominees will be published on nftvf.com in the upcoming weeks. 

Nordic Council Music Prize also has a film connection this year, as Norwegian composer Ola Kvernberg is nominated for his work on the animated feature Rally from Paris to the Pyramids (Flåklypa – fra Paris til Pyramidene).

The winners of the 2026 Film Prize, Music Prize, Literature Prize, Children & Young People’s Literature Prize, and Environment Prize will be announced on 20 October. During the Award Ceremony, hosted by the Nordic Council in the last week of October, the winners will receive the “Nordlys” prize statuette.

The Film Prize award of DKK 300,000 will be shared equally among the screenwriter(s), director(s), and producer(s), underscoring how film as an art form is brought about by the close collaboration of these three main contributors.