Six Films nominated for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize
Six films — five features and one documentary — have been nominated for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize, announced on 24 August at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund (Variety).
The prize goes to a feature film or documentary produced in the Nordic countries that has been distributed in cinemas — a criterion that keeps the field tied to theatrical release rather than streaming-only titles. This year's list spans Norway, Iceland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland and Sweden, with each Nordic country represented by one film.
Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value leads the Norwegian entry. The film is a follow-up of sorts to Trier's acclaimed 2021 film The Worst Person in the World, and it arrives with backing from Nordisk Film & TV Fond, a key regional funding body (Nordisk Film & TV Fond).
Iceland's contender is Hlynur Pálmason's The Love That Remains, starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan (Nordic Film Festival Australia). The film is also supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Denmark's entry is Beginnings, directed by Jeanette Nordahl and starring Trine Dyrholm and David Dencik as a couple on the brink of divorce — until Ane suffers a stroke that reshapes everything (Variety).
From the Faroe Islands comes Birita, directed by Búi Dam and the sole documentary on the list. Finland's nominee is A Light That Never Goes Out, directed by Lauri-Matti Parppei, which premiered at Cannes in the ACID section — a parallel programme that champions independent cinema — and went on to win major prizes at the Jussi Awards, Finland's national film honours. Sweden selected Kevlar Soul, directed by Maria Eriksson-Hecht (Variety).
The nominations were revealed during the opening of New Nordic Films, the industry market that runs alongside the Haugesund festival (New Nordic Films).
A jury of six selected the nominees: Jacob Ludvigsen, Jan Berg Jørgensen, Marjo Pipinen, Jóna Finnsdóttir, Anne Gjelsvik and Jonas Holmberg, each bringing a perspective from a different Nordic country (Variety).
The Nordic Council Film Prize carries a purse of roughly €47,000, split between the director and the film's producer — a modest sum by major-awards standards, but a meaningful signal of regional prestige. The winner will be announced later this year alongside the Nordic Council's other cultural prizes.
