The Nordic Council Film Prize is an annual film prize administered by the Nordic Council since 2002. The Nordisk Film & TV Fond is the funding body that administers the prize, and also awards the Nordic Series Awards, since 2017.
History The first award was handed out in 2002 to celebrate the Nordic Council's 50th anniversary. Since 2005 the prize has been annual.
In 2023, Greenland submitted a film for the first time with The Edge Of The Shadow, directed by Malik Kleist.
In 2025, a film produced in the Faroe Islands was nominated for the first time.
Description The statutes of the award came into effect in 2003 and were amended in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2016. The award is given to a film deeply rooted in Nordic culture, it is shared between the film's director, scriptwriter and producer, underlining the fact that film as an art form is the result of a close collaboration between these three main functions. The award includes a cash prize of DKK 300,000 ($40,000).
The Nordic Council Film Prize is administered by the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, a secretariat to the Nordic Council. The Fond is funded by 22 partners: the Nordic Council of Ministers; five national film institutes; and 16 public and private media companies. It also funds the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize at the annual Gothenburg Film Festival.
One winner is chosen from submissions from the five Nordic countries. Requirements for films entering the competition are: duration of at least 72 minutes, Nordic production, high artistic quality, recent premiere, the film's main language should be Nordic. According to the Nordic Council, the prize is given for "the creation of an artistically original film that is rooted in Nordic cultural circles".The Nordic Council Film Prize , Nordic Council of Ministers (2008)
Nordic Series Awards In addition, since 2017 the Nordic Council has awarded the annual Nordic Series Awards, presented at TV Drama Vision in Göteborg, Sweden. These comprise: The Nordic Series Script Award, which recognises outstanding screenwriting in Nordic drama, the successor to the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize The Creative Courage Award, introduced in 2025, recognises "the producer(s) and the commissioner(s) of a series that exemplifies bold, innovative, and risk-taking approaches in Nordic drama series".
Prize winners and nominees
Year English Title Original Title Director(s) Submitting country 2002 The Man Without a Past Mies vailla menneisyyttä Aki Kaurismäki Finland All About My Father Alt om min far Even Benestad Norway Rostislav Aalto Finland Open Hearts Elsker dig for evigt Susanne Bier Denmark The Sea Hafið Baltasar Kormákur Iceland Days Like This Leva livet Mikael Håfström Sweden Lilya 4-ever Lukas Moodysson Sweden The Seagull's Laughter Mávahlátur Ágúst Guðmundsson Iceland Musikk for bryllup og begravelser Unni Straume Norway Okay Jesper W. Nielsen Denmark 2005 Manslaughter Drabet Per Fly Denmark Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands Nicolas Winding Refn Denmark Frozen Land Paha Maa Aku Louhimies Finland The 3 Rooms of Melancholia Melancholian 3 huonetta Pirjo Honkasalo Finland Screaming Masterpiece Gargandi Snilld Iceland Silja Hauksdóttir Iceland Kissed by Winter Vinterkyss Sara Johnsen Norway Hawaii, Oslo Erik Poppe Norway The Guitar Mongoloid Gitarrmongot Ruben Östlund Sweden A Hole in My Heart Hål i mitt hjärta Lukas Moodysson Sweden 2006 Zozo Josef Fares Sweden After the Wedding Efter bryllupet Susanne Bier Denmark Offscreen Christoffer Boe Denmark Kenen joukoissa seisot Finland Mother of Mine Äideistä parhain Klaus Härö Finland Thicker Than Water Blóðbönd Árni Ásgeirsson Iceland A Little Trip to Heaven Baltasar Kormákur Iceland Free Jimmy Slipp Jimmy fri Christopher Nielsen Norway The Bothersome Man Den brysomme mannen Jens Lien Norway Mouth to Mouth Mun mot mun Björn Runge Sweden 2007 The Art of Crying Kunsten at Græde i Kor Peter Schønau Fog Denmark AFR Denmark A Man's Work Miehen työ Aleksi Salmenperä Finland Children Börn Ragnar Bragason Iceland Jar City Mýrin Baltasar Kormákur Iceland Reprise Joachim Trier Norway Sons Sønner Norway Falkenberg Farewell Farväl Falkenberg Sweden Darling Johan Kling Sweden 2008 You, the Living Du levande Roy Andersson Sweden The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1 De unge år – Erik Nietzsche Del 1 Denmark The Home of Dark Butterflies Tummien perhosten koti Dome Karukoski Finland White Night Wedding Brúðguminn Baltasar Kormákur Iceland The Man Who Loved Yngve Mannen som elsket Yngve Stian Kristiansen Norway 2009 Antichrist Lars von Trier Denmark Sauna Finland The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela Olaf de Fleur Johannesson Iceland North Nord Norway Light Year Ljusår Sweden 2010 Submarino Thomas Vinterberg Denmark Steam of Life Miesten vuoro and Mika Hotakainen Finland The Good Heart Dagur Kári Iceland Upperdog Sara Johnsen Norway Metropia Tarik Saleh Sweden 2011 Beyond Svinalängorna Pernilla August Sweden Truth About Men Sandheden om mænd Nikolaj Arcel Denmark Hyvä poika Zaida Bergroth Finland Undercurrent Brim Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson Iceland Oslo, August 31st Oslo, 31. August Joachim Trier Norway 2012 Play Ruben Östlund Sweden A Royal Affair En kongelig affære Nikolaj Arcel Denmark The Punk Syndrome Kovasikajuttu and J-P Passi Finland Either Way Á annan veg Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson Iceland The Orheim Company Kompani Orheim Arlid Andersen Norway 2013 The Hunt Jagten Thomas Vinterberg Denmark Open Up to Me Kerron sinulle kaiken Simo Halinen Finland The Deep Djúpið Baltasar Kormákur Iceland I Belong Som du ser meg Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Eat Sleep Die Äta sova dö Gabriela Pichler Sweden 2014 Of Horses and Men Hross í oss Benedikt Erlingsson Iceland Nymphomaniac Nymphomaniac Lars von Trier Denmark Concrete Night Betoniyö Pirjo Honkasalo Finland Blind Blind Eskil Vogt Norway Force Majeure Turist Ruben Östlund Sweden 2015 Virgin Mountain Fúsi Dagur Kári Iceland Silent Heart Stille hjerte Bille August Denmark He ovat paenneet Finland Out of Nature Mot naturen Ole Giæver Norway Gentlemen Gentlemen Mikael Marcimain Sweden 2016 Louder Than Bombs Joachim Trier Norway Land of Mine Under sandet Martin Zandvliet Denmark The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki Hymyilevä mies Juho Kuosmanen Finland Sparrows Þrestir Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland The Here After Efterskalv Magnus von Horn Sweden 2017 Little Wing Tyttö nimeltä Varpu Selma Vilhunen Finland Parents Forældre Christian Tafdrup Denmark Heartstone Hjartasteinn Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson Iceland Hunting Flies Fluefangeren Izer Aliu Norway Sami Blood Sameblod Amanda Kernell Sweden 2018 Woman at War Kona fer í stríð Benedikt Erlingsson Iceland Winter Brothers Vinterbrødre Hlynur Pálmason Denmark Euthanizer Armomurhaaja Teemu Nikki Finland Thelma Joachim Trier Norway Ravens Korparna Jens Assur Sweden 2019 Queen of Hearts Dronningen May el-Toukhy Denmark Aurora Miia Tervo Finland A White, White Day Hvítur, hvítur dagur Hlynur Pálmason Iceland Blind Spot Blindsone Tuva Novotny Norway Reconstructing Utøya Rekonstruktion Utøya Sweden 2020 Beware of Children Barn Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Uncle Onkel Denmark Dogs Don't Wear Pants Koirat eivät käytä housuja Finland Echo Bergmál Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland Charter Amanda Kernell Sweden 2021 Flee Jonas Poher Rasmussen Denmark Any Day Now Ensilumi Hamy Ramezan Finland Alma Kristín Jóhannesdóttir Iceland Gunda Viktor Kossakovsky Norway Tigers Tigrar Ronnie Sandahl Sweden 2022Wendy Mitchell, "Nordic Council Film Prize reveals five nominees for $40,000 award". Screen Daily, 23 August 2022. Lamb Dýrið Valdimar Jóhannsson Iceland The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic Sokea mies joka ei halunnut nähdä Titanicia Teemu Nikki Finland Clara Sola Nathalie Álvarez Mesén Sweden Godland Vanskabte Land/Volaða land Hlynur Pálmason Denmark The Worst Person in the World Verdens verste menneske Joachim Trier Norway 2023 Empire Vifetn Frederikke Aspöck Denmark Bubble Kupla Aleksi Salmenperä Finland Driving Mum Á ferð með mömmu Hilmar Oddsson Iceland The Edge of the Shadows Alanngut Killinganni Malik Kleist Greenland Opponent Motståndaren Milad Alami Sweden War Sailor Krigsseileren Gunnar Vikene Norway 2024 Sex Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Crossing Levan Akin Sweden Fallen Leaves Kuolleet lehdet Aki Kaurismäki Finland The Son and the Moon Roja Pakari, Emilie Adelina Monies Denmark Touch Snerting Baltasar Kormákur Iceland Twice Colonized Lin Alluna Greenland 2025 My Eternal Summer Min Evige Sommer Sylvia Le Fanu Denmark The Last Paradise on Earth Seinasta paradís á jørð Sakaris Stórá Faroe Islands The Helsinki Effect Arthur Franck FinlandWalls - Akinni Inuk Sofie Rørdam, Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg Greenland When the Light Breaks Ljósbrot Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland Dreams (Sex Love) Drømmer Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 Israel Palestina på svensk tv 1958-1989 Göran Hugo Olsson Sweden
See also
Nordic Council's Literature Prize Nordic Council Music Prize
References
External links
The Nordic Council Film Prize entry at Norden