McConaughey's "The Rivals of Amziah King" Wins Top Audience Prize at Haugesund Film Festival
Matthew McConaughey's film "The Rivals of Amziah King" has won the Ray of Sunshine Award at the 54th Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund, the festival announced on 27 August 2026 (Variety).
The Ray of Sunshine Award goes to the film that "excites and spreads the most joy," as the festival frames it. Jurors praised "The Rivals of Amziah King" for its "humor and warmth" and gave a special mention to its editing (Variety).
The film is directed by Andrew Patterson and stars McConaughey alongside Angelina LookingGlass. Patterson also wrote the screenplay. The project marks a step up for the director, whose 2019 debut "The Vast of Night" built a cult following on a micro-budget before being picked up by Amazon (13News Now; The Hollywood Reporter).
For audiences, the Haugesund prize lands at a useful moment. "The Rivals of Amziah King" is scheduled to open in theatres across the United States on 21 August 2026 — six days before the award was announced (13News Now). A festival laurel handed to a film already in release can steady a second-week hold, the industry term for how well a title keeps selling tickets after its opening frame.
The ceremony itself unfolded against sombre news from Norway's royal household. King Harald's health has been deteriorating, casting a quieter tone over the proceedings (Variety).
Two other films took home major Haugesund honours. The Norwegian Critics' Award went to "Butterfly," directed by Itonje Søimer Guttormsen and starring Renate Reinsve — the Norwegian actor whose turn in Joachim Trier's "The Worst Person in the World" drew international attention in 2021. The Audience Award, voted by festivalgoers, went to "Pressure," a World War II drama directed by Anthony Maras. "Pressure" follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower as he plans the Normandy landings, with Brendan Fraser and Andrew Scott in the lead roles (Variety).
On the industry side, the festival's Nordic Co-Production Market — a marketplace where producers pitch projects to potential financiers and co-producers — handed its Best Pitch Award to "Grandmonster." The project will be directed by Vegard Dahle and produced by Jon Vatne for Syden Pictures (Variety).
Haugesund, held annually on Norway's western coast, serves as one of the Nordic region's principal film festivals and a gateway for international titles seeking Scandinavian distribution. This year's edition put an American film front and centre, a jury's endorsement of joy arriving in a week when Norway had little of it to spare.
