Seventeen documentary films from across the Nordic region have been selected to compete at this year’s Nordisk Panorama FF (17-22 September 2026).
The opening feature documentary, In Cod We Trust, takes us to the northern Norwegian fishing village of Båtsfjord, where director Guro Saniola Bjerk explores a community sustained by cod and bound together through stories shared with warmth, humour and self-irony.
Also opening the festival is the animated stop-motion short PLEASE, which sees director Anna Mantzaris portray humanity’s need for love and affirmation through a series of tender, absurd, and humorous scenes in which people seek connection in a world that encourages self-restraint.
Nordisk Panorama Film Festival recognises the outstanding achievements in Nordic filmmaking across five award categories, honouring exceptional documentaries, short films, producers and emerging talent. In addition, there is the City of Malmö’s Audience Award where the public get to vote for their favourite.
In addition to its strong film programme, the fest will honour, for the fourth consecutive year, the role of the producer, with five producers nominated for the unique Nordic Documentary Producer Award.
Comment Documentary Programmers Cecilia Lidin & Karrar Al-Azzawi: “The selected documentary films reflect the breadth and ambition of contemporary Nordic filmmakers. Together, they invite us to see the world through new perspectives, with curiosity, empathy and courage.”
BEST NORDIC DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
- 8000: An Art Odyssey (Anssi Kasitonnin maailma) by Sami Sänpäkkilä, 74 min, Finland, 2025
- A Place in the Ring (En plads i manegen) by Anne Svejgård Lund, 95 min, Denmark, 2025
- Almost Forever (Nästan Forever) by Lia Hietala & Hannah Reinikainen, 89 min, Sweden/Finland, 2026
- Frost Without Snow and Ice (Frost uten snø og is) by Asgeir Helgestad, 95 min, Norway, 2026
- Homesick (Hjemsøgt) by Taekyung Tanja Inwol Sørensen, 84 min, Denmark/South Korea/Finland, 2026
- In Cod We Trust by Guro Saniola Bjerk, 84 min, Norway/Finland, 2026
- Island Nation (Eyríki) by Nikolai Galitzine, 75 min, Iceland, 2026
- Little Sinner by Daro Hansen & Thomas Papapetros, 94 min, Denmark, 2026
- The Beauty of Errors (Kappale kauneinta suomea) by Jukka Kärkkäinen, 94 min, Finland/Sweden/Norway, 2026
- The Secret Reading Club of Kabul by Shakiba Adil & Elina Hirvonen, 94 min, Finland/Norway, 2026
- The Smuggler (Smugglaren) by Sylvelin Måkestad, 79 min, Sweden/Finland/Norway, 2026
- This Is Not An Apple (Dette er ikke et eple) BY Nefise Özkal Lorentzen, 88 min, Norway, 2026
NEW NORDIC VOICE DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
- Birita by Búi Dam, 90 min, Faroe Islands, 2026
- If Luck Will Come by Camille Bildsøe, 86 min, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, 2026
- In Defense Of Self by Linn Helene Løken, 88 min, Norway, 2026
- La belle année (La belle année) by Angelica Ruffier, 94 min, Sweden, Norway, 2026
- Writing Life (Giv os en chance) by Amanda Seeberg & Andrea Vijgen Strøbæk, 48 min, Denmark, 2025
NOMINEES FOR THE NORDIC DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER AWARD
The Nordic Documentary Producer Award recognises an outstanding producer whose vision, commitment, and collaboration have strengthened the Nordic documentary industry. It honours an individual who has shown courage, embraced creative risk, fostered emerging talent, and helped advance documentary as an art form.
- Elin Kamlert, Kamlert Film, Sweden
- Elisabeth Kleppe, Aldeles, Norway
- Helle Faber, Made in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Juha Löppönen, Mouka Filmi, Finland
- Kristín Andrea Þórðardóttir, Andrá Productions, Iceland
