Nordisk Film awards Norwegian film talents

The Nordisk Film Award in Norway was Thursday awarded for the second time. The talents awarded were scriptwriter Anders Fagerholt and director and scriptwriter Halkawt Mustafa for the screenplay for the film El Clásico.

The prize is awarded by the Nordisk Film Foundation and expresses a wish to strengthen and promote talents in Norwegian film industry. The Norwegian Film School clearly has its share in the growing talent pool in Norway, but the Norwegian filmmakers have their share as well. With courage and exuberant creativity they dare to try out abroad, but also with the ambition to produce on large budgets – as in Kon-Tiki, Headhunters, The Wave and The King's Choice.

For Nordisk Film, the price is an opportunity to strengthen the Norwegian film environment and culture. With the prize Nordisk Film rewards a Norwegian talent who has made an extraordinary effort to Norwegian film. The recipient of the Nordisk Film Prize is to be recognized for this effort and in future serve as inspiration for others.

The jury's motivation 
"El Clásico challenges us on what is a Norwegian film. It challenges us with its originality in a touching and fun way on how masculinity is defined. But it challenges film makers and audiences even more on who can be the main characters in a film, in an era where everything is becoming more and more streamlined, commercial and polished.

Tonight's winners dared to focus on main characters with a different background. It is easy to agree that this is important and right. But it's a lot harder to actually go for it.The prize winner's work also shows how fruitful cooperation between people of different backgrounds can be. It is how unique expressions and unique stories are created - and it is an inspiration to all of, who work with film."

The Nordisk Film Award is a talent award with a 100.000 NOK prize.