Five features and one documentary have been nominated for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize, an honor given to a feature film or documentary produced in the Nordic countries that has received theatrical distribution. The nominations were announced at the Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund.
Joachim Trier's Oscar-winning "Sentimental Value" and Hlynur Pálmason's "The Love That Remains" made the list, following significant festival success for both titles. They are joined by Jeanette Nordahl's "Beginnings," Búi Dam's "Birita," "A Light That Never Goes Out" by Lauri-Matti Parppei, and "Kevlar Soul," directed by Maria Eriksson-Hecht. The jury behind the selections consists of Jacob Ludvigsen, Jan Berg Jørgensen, Marjo Pipinen, Jóna Finnsdóttir, Anne Gjelsvik and Jonas Holmberg.
"Kevlar Soul," Sweden's entry for the prize, centers on two brothers who grow up terrorized by their alcoholic father. A statement about the film's selection noted, "Being selected as Sweden's entry for the Nordic Council Film Prize means a great deal to everyone involved, both in front of and behind the camera. We hope this recognition will help more people discover and see the film, bringing new attention to its themes."
"Beginnings," starring Trine Dyrholm and David Dencik, follows a couple on the verge of divorce whose plans are upended when Ane suffers a stroke. "We wanted to explore the absolute loss of control, seen from all perspectives within a family. What happens when illness strikes, and how do we relate to each other when everything has changed?" said director Jeanette Nordahl, who chose to tell the story "without sentimentality or judgement, focusing on simple, everyday situations that might feel familiar." She added, "So many families find themselves in this type of conflict, and our intention was to give them a film in which they could feel seen and validated. I think, and hope, this is why audiences have responded so strongly to it."
Búi Dam's "Birita" draws on his relationship with his mother, an actress. "Making this film about my mother, an actress, and my relationship with her has been a journey of joy, love, and discovery. And, clichéd as it may sound, that has of course been the reward in itself," he said. He also framed the nomination within a broader context for the Faroe Islands: "The Faroe Islands, a semi-autonomous part of the Danish realm, have long stood on the periphery of the Nordic community. Now, as we move towards independence – something that our Icelandic sister Björk encouraged us and Greenland to do in 2008 [in her song 'Declare Independence'] – it feels important that we carve out a clear place for our own voice, our language, and our culture within the Nordic community."
"A Light That Never Goes Out," directed by Lauri-Matti Parppei, follows protagonists who form an experimental band described as a "paramilitary noise art collective." The music-heavy drama premiered at Cannes ACID and was a major winner at the Jussi Awards in Finland. "My background is in the Finnish underground and DIY music scene. I never expected that a film based on those experiences would suddenly touch people around the world. And travel across borders and continents," Parppei told Variety. He continued, "As a Finn, I've always admired Nordic filmmakers and their long history of acclaimed cinema, even feeling a bit inferior. Even my favorite film of all time is from Sweden: 'Fucking Åmål' by Lukas Moodysson [also known as 'Show Me Love']. That's why it means so much to me to be nominated alongside the works of my colleagues – and it feels like I might actually be a real Nordic filmmaker myself!"
The Nordic Council Film Prize carries an award of 300,000 Danish kroner, to be shared equally among the screenwriters, directors and producers of the winning title, in recognition of "how film as an art form is brought about by the close collaboration of these three main contributors."
Photo: Raph_PH, CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
