Program 2022: Value of the short film format, free speech, queer stories and industry programme

The 45th Norwegian Short Film Festival’s entire program for 2022 is now online, and here is a small guide to some of the themes and events you can look forward to experiencing in person after two years of digital editions. We are finally ready to welcome you to Grimstad June 8th!

Focus on producers

New this year is a special industry programme dedicated to producers. All producers with films in competition will receive complimentary accreditation / festival pass this year, previously reserved for directors only. Our producers’ focus is tailor-made; a comprehensive series of events with useful master classes, panels, networking opportunities and sales market.

This includes a Master Class with two producers nominated for an becomes® i år: Dyveke Bjørkli Graver (Verdens verste menneske) and Marie Therese Guirgis Marie Therese Guirgis, who will share their experiences around feature films and documentaries.

We will also look at Oscar® race strategies, with strategist and publicist Kathleen McInnis shining a light on the process as a whole. becomes®løp, hvor strateg og publisist Kathleen McInnis åpner opp og synliggjør hvordan prosessen foregår.

The road from Grimstad to becomes® kan være kortere enn du tror, for i år er Kortfilmfestivalen becomes®became Oscar® qualifying in two new categories!

The value of the short film

What is the hard value of a short film? We know that there is little money for shorts and very few can make a living from it. In the commercial world where market value and audience numbers are top priority, the short film quickly becomes the feature film's poor cousin. But shouldn’t the time we live in create great conditions for making short films?

This is another focus we explore this year, Ingrid Falkenberg Dokka , will moderate a panel discussion with Elin Kristiansenfrom Midtnorsk filmsenter; Toril SimonsenManager International Relations at the Norwegian Film Institute; and longtime film consultant, Manager International Relations at the Norwegian Film Institute; and longtime film consultant Kalle Løchen.

Country in Focus: Ukraine

More than ever, Ukrainians need to be seen and heard, and we have selected a number of short films that in various ways introduce the audience to life in a country before the Russian invasion and subsequent war. Through two programs, we get to know complex identities in a world that is very far from the politicized media headlines, and an increased insight into Ukraine as a cultural nation.

Freedom of expression under pressure

In March this year, documentary filmmaker Thomas Østbye was arrested and put on parole by the Norwegian police while filming and documenting an action on Sjursøya under the auspices of the activist group Extinction Rebellion. The incident raised issues familiar in Norway, and also experienced by this festival in the recent past: How do we strengthen documentary filmmakers' freedom of expression and give them legal protection ?

In a panel discussion, The Norwegian Short Film Festival, the Norwegian Film Workers’ Association and the Directors Guild of Norway will take a closer look at how to best handle and avoid such situations in the future.

Freedom of expression is also on the agenda with our screening of the documentary Myanmar Diaries during the festival, and we are excited and grateful to be able to welcome two directors of the Myanmar Film Collective, along with producer Corinne van Egeraat to Grimstad to talk about their work on the film.

50 years of being legally gay

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Norway, and we will highlight this in several ways: We have two retrospective programs celebrating 30 years of Norwegian queer short film, with films from 1991 to 2020 30 år med skeiv filmwith films from 1991 to 2020.

We honor queer indigenous people in the program The Queer Indigenous Effect, and Oslo/Fusion Film Festival’s annual program presents films from all over the world in a sneak peek of their September festival. In addition, we have more 2SLGBTQIA+ queer film in other competition and special programs.

As always, we have our packed industry program and professional content mixed with a variety of fabulous social events, from the fresh start of a morning dip in the fjord to the evening funky grooves and moves under the festival club’s disco ball!

Welcome to the 45th Norwegian Short Film Festival 2022! See the full program here.