Haugesund prepares to celebrate Norwegian cinema at the International Film Festival and Amanda Awards (22-26 August, 2026)
For one week every August, the Norwegian coastal city of Haugesund becomes one of the most important meeting places for the country’s film industry. The Norwegian International Film Festival returns from 22 to 28 August 2026, bringing together filmmakers, actors, industry professionals and audiences for a celebration of Norwegian, Nordic and international cinema. The festival, known in Norwegian as Den norske filmfestivalen, is the country’s oldest film festival. Its history dates back to 1973, when it was first organised in Drøbak. After travelling between several Norwegian cities, the festival found its permanent home in Haugesund in 1987. Since then, it has developed into an important showcase for Norwegian and Nordic filmmaking. The festival is more than a series of film screenings. It is also an important industry gathering, hosting discussions, professional events and New Nordic Films, the festival’s annual market and co-production forum. Established in 1995, New Nordic Films brings around 300 industry professionals from Norway and abroad to discover new Nordic productions and develop international collaborations.
The Amanda Awards: Norway’s national film prize
One of the defining moments of the Haugesund festival is the Amanda Awards, Norway’s national film awards. The Amanda was established in 1985 with the aim of increasing the quality of Norwegian filmmaking and encouraging interest in Norwegian films. Originally covering both film and television, the awards became exclusively focused on cinema in 2005. The prize takes the form of a distinctive bronze statuette designed by sculptor Kristian Kvakland. The 2026 ceremony will take place on Saturday, 22 August, at Festiviteten Concert Hall in Haugesund. It will be the 42nd Amanda Awards ceremony and will be broadcast on NRK1. The awards recognise achievements across Norwegian cinema, including acting, directing, screenwriting and technical filmmaking disciplines. The Amanda competition covers Norwegian feature films, theatrical documentaries and short films made for public exhibition.
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value leads the nominations
The 2026 nominations underline the strength of Norway‘s recent film production. Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value‘ (Affeksjonsverdi) leads the field with 12 nominations, putting the film in a position to challenge the Amanda record. The current record was set by ‘Barn’ in 2020, which received nine awards. The Amanda jury considered 34 feature films and documentaries and 12 short films released between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The nominations were announced in Oslo on 17 June. The 2026 jury consists of 15 professionals from different areas of the Norwegian film industry, including actors Lena Kristin Ellingsen and Nicolai Cleve Broch, directors Emilie Beck and John Andreas Andersen, producers Tanya Badendyck and Tore Buvarp, as well as specialists in cinematography, editing, sound, production design, music, costume and make-up. The composition of the jury reflects one of the Amanda Awards’ most important characteristics: Norwegian cinema is judged not only through its most visible stars and directors, but also through the many creative and technical professionals whose work shapes a film.
Haugesund’s role in Nordic cinema
The connection between the festival and the Amanda Awards gives Haugesund a distinctive position in Norway‘s film landscape. For audiences, the festival offers an opportunity to discover new films and meet filmmakers. For the industry, it provides a place where projects, talent and international contacts come together. The festival also looks beyond Norway. Through New Nordic Films and its wider programme, Haugesund functions as an international showcase for cinema from the Nordic region, helping connect Nordic filmmakers with distributors, producers, financiers and audiences. This combination of public festival, industry meeting point and national awards ceremony has made Haugesund an important part of Norway’s film identity. In 2026, that tradition continues with the 54th Norwegian International Film Festival, running from 22 to 28 August, while the Amanda Awards will open the festival week on 22 August by putting the spotlight firmly on the people and films shaping contemporary Norwegian cinema. For a country whose film industry has gained increasing international attention in recent years, Haugesund offers something particularly valuable: a place where Norwegian cinema can celebrate its achievements at home while remaining connected to the wider Nordic and international film world.
Read more on Filmfestivalen.no, Newnordicfilms.no
