Since 2002, the Nordic Council Film Prize has been awarded to a full-length feature film rooted in Nordic culture and recognised for its high artistic quality. This year, six films have been nominated for the prize, including one documentary and five feature films.
The Film Prize was first presented as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Nordic Council. Initially introduced as a pilot initiative, it became an established tradition in 2005. The prize is presented at a joint awards ceremony that also celebrates outstanding new works in music and literature, as well as innovative solutions to environmental sustainability challenges. The Film Prize aims to promote film production in the Nordic region and support the development of the industry’s market.
In 2025, a film from the Faroe Islands was nominated for the first time – and went on to win the top prize. The Last Paradise on Earth (Seinasta paradís á jørð) explores themes that resonate far beyond the Nordic region: loss, a sense of belonging, the choice between staying and leaving, and our relationship with our homeland and nature.
Nominees for the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize:
1. Beginnings (Begyndelser) – Denmark.
2. A Light That Never Goes Out (Jossain on valo joka ei sammu) – Finland.
3. Birita – Faroe Islands.
4. The Love That Remains. (Ástin sem eftir er) – Iceland.
5. Sentimental Value. (Affeksjonsværdi) – Norway.
6. Kevlarsjäl – Sweden.
The winner of the 2026 Nordic Council Film Prize will be announced on 20 October. The prize money of DKK 300,000 (approximately EUR 40,000) is divided equally among the winning film’s screenwriter, director and producer – underscoring the fact that cinema as an art form is the result of collaboration between these three key contributors.
This autumn, the nominated films have already been screened or will be shown at a number of festivals across the Nordic region and around the world. The Riga International Film Festival (Riga IFF), taking place this year from 15 to 25 October, has also long featured the Nordic Highlights section, offering audiences a selection of the most compelling and topical new films from the Nordic countries. The Riga IFF film programme is created in cooperation with the embassies of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, as well as the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia and the Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Last year, the Nordic Highlights section also featured films from Finland and Iceland that had been nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize, while the Norwegian film Affeksjonsværdi was screened as part of the programmes at Riga’s major cinemas. This year will be no exception. As part of the Riga International Film Festival, audiences will once again have the opportunity to discover the latest works from Nordic cinema.
More information about the films and the programme will be published on 15 September: Riga IFF Programme 2026
