The Norwegian International Film Festival at Haugesund will run from Aug. 22-28, featuring 84 feature films and 20 shorts. Director Erik Poppe’s drama ‘Beloved’ has been selected as the opening film, premiering on Aug. 23. The film is based on an original screenplay by Nobel Prize-winning author Jon Fosse and centers on a couple whose relationship is tested when the husband, a sailor, feels drawn back to the sea. Poppe previously opened the festival two years ago, and Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, according to festival director Tonje Hardersen.
Poppe emphasized that ‘Beloved’ explores themes of closeness and hope in an era often dominated by cynicism in film and television. The film stars Leo Magnus de la Nuez and Kristi-Helene Giæver Engeberg and is set in Western Norway’s coastal landscape. Among other notable selections, ‘The Murder of Benjamin,’ addressing a racially motivated killing from 2001, will close the festival. Director Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning ‘Fjord’ is among several Cannes competition entries included in the program.
A-list international attendees expected include Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Anders Danielsen Lie, who will receive honors at the festival. Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’ will compete in the Amanda Awards ceremony on Aug. 22, with 12 nominations. The festival’s expansion to Stavanger last March drew over 10,000 tickets and increased overall visitor numbers by 30 percent.
Hardersen noted that the festival reflects broader themes about Norwegian society, with works addressing its fractures and challenges. She emphasized the importance of supporting the Norwegian audiovisual sector and securing participation in the EU’s upcoming AgoraEU program, while maintaining Haugesund’s role as the primary venue for the industry-focused New Nordic Films sidebar.
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