The Norwegian films Thelma, Vidar the Vampire, TV series Occupied 2, Norsemen 2 are on the menu of the 45th Norwegian International Film Festival.

A fresh new breeze will blow on Norway’s top film festival held in Haugesund between August 20-25, with new programmes focusing on Nordic TV drama, book adaptations and the first announcement of the Nordic Council Film Prize nominations on Tuesday August 22.

“We are so happy to have convinced Nordisk Film & TV Fond to host the Nordic Council Film Prize nominations in Haugesund and no doubt lots of young people will attend the event with Skam stars Tarjei Sandvik Moe and Iman Meskini presenting the nominees,” said festival and programme director Tonje Hardersen. “We are also very excited to bring together film, TV professionals and literary agents together for the first time and to give local talents a chance to hook up with international guests attending New Nordic Films [August 22-25]. Two productions shot in the Haugesund area will premiere on August 23rd - the TV drama Norsemen 2 [2 episodes] and horror comedy Vidar the Vampire. So watch out for a fun Wednesday night!”

Another genre film: Joachim Trier’s Thelma will have its world premiere on August 20 and kick-start the festival. The supernatural thriller will screen in the festival’s main programme, alongside Vidar the Vampire, the Finnish biopic Tom of Finland and 14 other films to be released locally in the upcoming months such as the Cannes competition titles The Beguiled, Jupiter’s Moon, Happy End and 120 Beats per Minute.

As always the ‘Nordic Focus’ will give a chance to 11 new Nordic films to screen to a Norwegian cinema audience, such as The Oath by Iceland’s Baltasar Kormákur, Small Time Killers by Denmark’s Ole Bornedal, and Beyond Dreams by Sweden’s Rojda Sekersöz.  “It’s tougher for Nordic films to get a Norwegian theatrical release, but hopefully some titles will be picked up, the way it happened last year with our opening film The Day Will Come,” noted Hardersen.

On the new Nordic TV Dramas sidebar are Norway’s Occupied season 2 (Viaplay/TV2), Norsemen season 2, (NRK), Iceland’s Prisoners (RUV) and Sweden’s Our Time is Now (SVT). Other highlights include the new ‘Norwegian ArchFest’ focusing on architecture and urbanism, and the seminar “The Nordic Bridge - How to strengthen Nordic content in the digital age” hosted by Norway’s Minister of Culture Linda Hofstad Helleland together with Nordisk Film & TV Fond and the Norwegian Film Institute.  The annual Amanda awards will be held on Saturday August 19 at Haugesund’s Scandic Maritim Hall.

For further details on the Norwegian International Film Festival, check: www.filmfestivalen.no