Here are the nominations!

It’s finally here: the list of the films in competition for Norwegian and International short film, short documentary and music video.

The last few weeks our selection committees have done an amazing job finalizing this years competition programs. They have watched over 277 hours of short films, and now, finally, the nominations are ready. From over 1000 submissions they have selected 44 Norwegian shorts, 9 Norwegian short docs, 26 music videos, and 52 international shorts. See the complete list below.

- We are very proud and happy to be able to present this year's competition programme, says executive director Anita Svingen. - We are in a time where it is especially important to give films an opportunity to meet its audience. It is encouraging to see that the number of submissions were relatively steady from previous years, despite the challenges the pandemic has presented to our industry, she adds.

The mandate of the selection committees is to ensure the high artistic quality of the programme, but also to maintain diversity on screen and behind the camera. This means that the festival strives for an even gender balance and a variation in terms of sexual orientation, cultural background and geography. Furthermore, an important goal is to balance different kinds of artistic expressions and themes.

The program is exciting and includes a lot, both aesthetically and thematically. Those who are familiar with the festival and the short film industry will recognize many names among the selected filmmakers, but there are also exciting new voices here, says Svingen,

Overall the gender balance among the filmmakers are even: 23 men and 22 women in Norwegian short fiction, 5 women and 4 men in Norwegian short documentary, 22 men and 20 women in international short fiction, and 7 women and 6 men in international short documentary. Among the submitted films we see a slight male predominance in all categories. In Norwegian music video, however, the balance is skewed, as 21 men and only 5 women are among the selected filmmakers. This is also a reflection of the submissions in this category.

In addition to the Golden Chairs, which are awarded to the best film in each of the above categories, several special industry awards are presented to films in the programme.

Statement from the selection committee, Norwegian Short:
We have seen a multitude of expressions and ideas. Films displaying technical competence, unique stories with strong visuals, and despite a pandemic, there’s a broad span in themes the filmmakers address; from the emotional and poetic, to the political, satirical and experimental. We hope this year’s selection will encourage dialogue and conversation. These filmmakers dare to ask critical and complex questions about the time we live in, without forcing a message upon us. They address and consider topics surrounding climate, class, cultural differences, and feminism. We have also made room for the more peculiar and funny films, as well as the heartfelt and the low-key stories that linger in us long after the credits roll. The selection committee for Norwegian Short are Liv Joelle Barbosa Blad, Brwa Vahabpour and Sabina Jacobsson.

The nominees for best Norwegian Short Film:

2002 (Year Of the Horse) – Matias Rygh and Mathias Nordli Eriksen
8007 Marina Apartment – Thor Brenne
The Amateur – Henry K. Norvalls
APART – Silas K. Henriksen and Cecilie Semec
Social Distance - Erlend Bjelland
Baby Fingers – Adrian Dalen
The Children – Liss-Anett Steinskog
Bunad – Ingrid Stenersen
Customs – Armita Keyani
What I Wish You Would Have Told Me, but Never Will – Lilja Ingolfsdottir
Mayflies – Johannes V. Wiig
Exposed – Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
Lonely Cowgirl – Gina Kippenbroeck
Are You Ready? – Minni Katina Mertens and Ida-Maria Bæk
The Farce – Anja Petkovic Karlsen and Vanja Maria Kern Vestenfor
Film Found – Claudia Munksgaard-Palmqvist
Headless Again – Maria Sundby
Hold me – Tommy Næss
Honey Eater – Sondre Masvie
Why Are You Black? – Julie Skaufel
Cabin Ban – Finn Walther
Isbjørn Obstfelder – Halvard Harboe
Quarantined Family Karlsen – Tove Undheim
Indigenous Police – Egil Pedersen
Mamma, – Aslak Danbolt
Milk Me – Jørgen Jensås Sivertsen
Headwind – Jon Vatne
Narcissus – Halvard Harboe
Norwegian Couscous – Mohamed Chakiri
Before Long – Sylvia Le Fanu
Play Schengen – Gunhild Enger
Sand – Irasj Asanti
Sofia, Last Summer – Eivind Landsvik
Stroke – Tobias Klemeyer Smith
For Real – Det Sporadiske Filmkollektivet
Tape – Mirjam Thorkelsdottir
The Caretaker – Emil Engesnes Bråthen
The Wonders Beneath the Sea – Ellen Ugelstad
Transactions – Ivar Aase
The Kids – Ina Lerner Grevstad
Bed Bugs – Marlene Lyngstad
We Are Not Here – Kasper Quintanilla
Wild Horses – Simon Tillaas
Voguing with Beethoven – Emilie Norenberg

Statement from the selection committee, Short Documentary: The submitted films have had a great variety of expressions and use of different genres, introduced dilemmas and engagement for society, challenging our perception of the world. Some tendencies in the Norwegian submissions were very personal portraits of people, their social interactions and cultural backgrounds, conveyed with warmth, subtle humor and a precise sensibility for the human being. A big world, on a small screen, 230 films formed a journey that made us travel in our confined homes. Our warmest thank yous go out to all the talented and professional filmmakers for offering us these powerful extensions of their sight vision, and for making the final selection process such a difficult one. The selection committee for Short Documentary are Lowri Rees, Mohamed Jabali and Maximilien van Aertryck.

The nominees for Best Short Documentary:

The Play Of Everyman – Thomas Østbye – Norway
Cousin Helge – Frida Eggum Michaelsen – Norway
Stories from the Shower – Teresia Fant – Norway
Fucking Adopted – Nora Nivedita Tvedt – Norway
Glimmers Like Gold, Melts Like Snow – Teresia Fant and Anni Tiainen – Norway
Hijack139 – Joachim Berg and Sondre Johre – Norway
Fortune Seekers – Runar Sørheim – Norway
Made in Skene – Jonathan Lomar – Norway
Masks and Men – Pawel Lozinski – Poland
Merak – Dzhovani Gospodinov – Luxemburg
My Uncle Tudor – Olga Lucovnicova – Moldova/Belgium
Maalbeek – Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis – France
No Body – Rares Hantiu and Bahar Shoghi – Romania
Not Until Now – Clara Bodén – Sweden
Son of Sodom – Theo Montoya – Colombia
Stolen Fish – Gosia Juszczak – UK
The Ballet of Service – Marlies Smeenge – Netherlands
The Communion of My Cousin Andrea – Brandán Cerviño Abeledo – Spain
The Doll – Elahe Esmaili – Iran
You Are Not Alone – Anna Elise Martensen – Norway
You Are Always 20 – Christer Wahlberg – Sweden

Statement from the selection committee, Music Video: In their statement, last year’s committee wished for a higher number of female directors in 2021, after only 21 of 77 submitted music videos were directed by women. Unfortunately, this statistic has not improved: Out of 76 submissions, only 12 were directed by women (including one film with one female and one male director). Despite this, we see a lot of diversity represented in the music videos’ content, in casting as well as in subject matters. The genre is usually not a distinct political platform, but several of the videos address key political issues from the past year; such as gender, #metoo, Black Lives Matter, mental health, and climate change. The ongoing Covid-19 situation is not a prominent theme, but perhaps this has had an effect on the more escapist and/or nostalgic contributions. We hope you will enjoy these music videos as much as we did, and that as many as possible will be able to experience them on the big screen with a sound system to match. Enjoy! The selction committee for Music Video are Aleksander Huser and Marlene Emilie Lyngstad.

The nominees for best Norwegian music video:

Adult Wasteland – Cold Mailman – Aleksander Johan Andreassen
Ane Brun – Crumbs – Stian Andersen
Dragongirl – beefs, bad blood and burning vendettas – Samuel Feste Midteide
Boy Pablo – Hey Girl – Eivind Landsvik
Boy Pablo – Honey – Eivind Landsvik
Creator – Tanmay Chowhdary
Death by Unga Bunga – Not Like The Others – Andreas Emil Lund
Emelie Hollow / Ruben – Break It Right (Fast Motion Trilogy part 3) – Kenneth Karlstad
FLTY BRGR GRL – Slowdance – Sofie Søndervik Sæther
Hester – Drongo – Lisa Enes
HRVY x Seeb x Goodboys – Unfamiliar – Johannes Apelseth, Thomas Andal, Jonas Selim, Thomas Stenerud, Øivind Bolstad
I stedet for punktum et hjerta – Odin Staveland
Lokoy – relay (with Nils Bech) – Sebastian Kåss
Margrete – Charizard – Frøydis Fosslie Moe
MATATA – Ruracio – Daniel Anda
Mugisho & Willy – Live – Kristoffer Nylund Grindheim
Pom Poko – Like a Lady – Marin Håskjold
Ruben – Mama Don´t Know – Sigurd Fossen
Ruben – Running – Sigurd Fossen
SkarWorX – Wisdom – Kim Berg, Frank Aron Gårdsø
Solitude – Markus Gjengaar
Sondre Justad – Sorry – Eirik Svensson, Julian Vargas
Synne Sanden – Skeleton – Simon Matthew Valentine, Synne Sanden
TIX – Tusen Tårer – Thomas Andal, Jonas Selim, Johannes Apelseth, Thomas Stenerud, Øivind Bolstad
Vicki – #YouToo – Andy Pett
We’re being couped – Andrea Vik

Statement from the selection committee, International Short: As for the films submitted to this year’s international short fiction film competition, disease and forced social isolation are for the most part absent, with a few notable exceptions. Maybe we have to wait another year for the giant wave of cinematic hand sanatizer? The truth of the matter is that his committee has seen numerous films where people gather: on dance floors, in restaurants, on the road, in the streets. Often in precarious situations shaped by social and political conflicts that started long before the pandemic, and that will continue after it is over. Socially engaged and realistic dramas still tend to dominate on the international short film scene. This is a trend we have sought to reflect in this year’s selection. However, the short film format also gives room for experimentation, for abstraction, for essayistic or hybrid structures that allow reality and fantasy to bleed into fiction. Such contributions are also represented in the programme. Forhåndsjuryen for Internasjonal Kortfilm er Faridah Shakoor Nabaggala, Neil Young, Anita Svingen, Vanja Ødegård, Cato Fossum, Gunhild Enger, Julie Pichard og Bård Ydén

The nominees for Best International Short Film:

193 Octillion – Anya Tsyrlina – Switzerland
Bad Omen – Salar Pashtoonyar – Canada
Bambirak – Zamarin Wahdat – Germany
BENZTOWN – Gottfried Mentor – Germany
Black On Gray – Pouria Siminpour – Iran
Cause of Death – Jyoti Mistry – South Africa/Austria
The Criminals – Serhat Karaaslan – Turkey
The Dream – Santiago Sánchez – Colombia
Dustin – Naila Guiguet – France
Gold is Eating People – Su Xia – China
A Guide To Dining Out In Nairobi – Hugh Mitton – UK/Kenya
Happy Valley – Simon Lui – Hongkong
Hizia – Zariab Chabname – France
Horacio – Caroline Cherrier – France
IEVA – Vytautas Plukas and Domas Petronis – Lithuania
Inflorescence – Nicolaas Schmidt – Germany
Labor Of Love – Sylvia Schedelbauer – Germany
Lemongrass girl – Pom Bunsermvicha – Thailand
The Letter Room – Elvira Lind – USA
Life on the Horn – Mo Harave – Austria/Somalia
Microcassette: The Smallest Cassette I’ve Ever Seen – Igor Bezinovic og Ivana Pipal – Croatia / Serbia
Motorway 65 – Evi Kalogiropoulou – Greece
My Fat Arse and I – Yelyzaveta Pysmak – Poland
Nenad – Mladen Bundalo – Belgium
Nha Mila – Denise Fernandes – Portugal
Nights and Days In July – Jana Bringlöv Ekspong – Sweden
The Night Train – Jerry Carlsson – Sweden
Nuevo Rico – Kristian Mercado – USA
Reconstruction – Pia Andell – Finland
Rocks and Crows – Anne Thorens – Switzerland
The Shift – Laura Carreira – UK
Sisters – Katarina Rešek (Kukla) – Slovenia
The Strange – Oriol Guanyabens Pous – Spain
The Void of Maws – Mauricio Maldonado – Colombia
Tremendous Cream – Alexei Dmitriev -Russia
Trona Pinnacles – Mathilde Parquet – France
Ursula – Eduardo Brito – Portugal
What We Don’t Know About Mariam – Morad Mostafa – Egypt