OBSERVER: Scandinavian Film Festival
The 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival, presenting the best new cinema from the Nordic region, will be presented at Palace cinemas from July 11 to August 3.
The unveiling of this year’s program revealed a diverse and thought–provoking selection from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland with 2025 Cannes Grand Prix winner, Sentimental Value as the centrepiece.
The Festival welcomes new naming rights partner Hurtigruten, long associated with the Nordic region.
Opening the 2025 Festival is Number 24, from multi award-winning director John Andreas Andersen (The Burning Sea, The Quake). This Norwegian spy drama depicts the extraordinary true story of an ‘every-man’ drawn into the resistance movement during World War II, exploring the morality of wartime and the weight of responsibility in the fight for freedom.
Direct from the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the coveted Grand Prix, is this year’s centrepiece, Sentimental Value, from director Joachim Trier. Reuniting Trier with star Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), the intimate drama also stars Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning in a moving exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.
2025’s Special Presentation is Quisling: The Final Days (Quislings siste dager). Set in 1945 Norway, this bold and provocative drama from acclaimed director Erik Poppe (The King’s Choice, ScandiFF 17) follows the post-liberation trial of the country’s infamous and controversial head of state Vidkun Quisling, in a stirring meditation on complicity, faith and the capacity for self-deception.
A box office sensation in Iceland, black comedy Grand Finale (Fullt hús) is this year’s Closing Night film. Featuring an all-star Icelandic ensemble cast, this wildly entertaining tale revolves around a near-bankrupt chamber orchestra in Reykjavik who try to secure their future with a world-famous cellist.
Also from Iceland is the powerful and visually stunning drama The Mountain (Fjallið), the first officially vetted sustainable production in the country, awarded the prestigious Green Film Sustainability certification. Starring Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney (daughter of singer Björk and artist Matthew Barney) in her first feature role, the coming-of-age story explores how the cosmos and a road trip to the Icelandic highlands offers comfort to a family whose life is upended by a twist of fate.
The Icelandic selection also includes Odd Fish (Ljósvíkingar) a tale of dreams, identity and acceptance which follows two childhood friends who get a long-awaited opportunity to run their seafood restaurant all year round yet face unexpected personal challenges.
From Denmark comes the compelling drama Second Victims (Det andet offer), starring Festival favourite Trine Dyrholm. Featuring Dyrholm and Özlem Saglanmak (Borgen), this timely reflection on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals follows a neurologist on a shift that will change her life forever, exploring the weight of guilt and the power of compassion.
Direct from the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival is the drama The Last Paradise on Earth (Seinasta paradís á jørð). The unique culture and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands are the backdrop to this moving exploration of identity, grief, and longing.
Based on the true story of Denmark’s biggest-ever robbery, The Quiet Ones (De lydløse) follows a group of criminals in their heist preparations with a stellar ensemble cast including Gustav Giese, Reda Kateb, Christopher Wagelin and Amanda Collin.
From acclaimed director Charlotte Sieling (Margrete – Queen of the North ScandiFF 22) and starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Way Home (Vejen hjem) is a gripping drama set against the backdrop of war-torn Syria that posits how far a Danish father is willing to go to save the people he loves.
Finally, the Festival is screening special encores of When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot) which recently won Best Nordic Film at the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival.
Melbourne Screenings: July 11 – August 3, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre.
Cheryl Threadgold