NORDISK PANORAMA FILM FESTIVAL 2026! THE WINNERS
| WINNERS NORDISK PANORAMA FILM FESTIVAL 2026! |
| After six days of remarkable films and memorable encounters, we are proud to present the winning films of this year’s Nordisk Panorama Film Festival.Of the 57 films selected for the competition programme, five have been awarded prizes across the different categories. In addition, two films have received honourable mentions for their outstanding contributions. We are also pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Nordic Documentary Producer Award.Keep reading for the full list of winners. |
| BEST NORDIC DOCUMENTARY |
| The Smuggler by Sylvelin Måkestad |
 |
| The Smuggler (Smugglaren), Sylvelin Måkestad, 79 min, Sweden/Finland/ Norway, 2026 |
| Motivation: The jury was unanimously struck by the mastery of this film, which delves into a still-painful chapter of European history on the border with Russia, and follows a truly remarkable protagonist’s adventurous quest for reconciliation. With its graceful subtlety, its playfulness and the genuine trust between the director and her characters, this rare portrayal of determination and love unfolds through outstanding cinematography – and has left a lasting impression on us. The Award for Best Nordic Documentary goes to The Smuggler by Sylvelin Måkestad. |
| Synopsis: Newly retired Lisbeth travels from Sweden to Finland to retrieve her late father’s pistol. Joining a “therapy bus” for the children of war veterans, she embarks on an unexpectedly emotional journey. Along the way she meets an arms collector, sings karaoke, and learns to shoot, guided in her own way by a witch. As they near the Russian border, Lisbeth moves toward reconciliation with her father, her past, and a country shaped by old wounds. |
| About the Director: Sylvelin Måkestad is a graduate of the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her films have screened internationally at festivals such as Oberhausen and Thessaloniki. |
| About the Award: The Best Nordic Documentary Award is presented to one of the 12 films selected for the competition. The award goes to the director(s) of the winning film. |
| Prize: The cash award of 11.000€ is sponsored by the Nordic public broadcasters. |
| HONOURABLE MENTION |
| The Beauty of Errors by Jukka Kärkkäinen |
 |
| The beauty of Errors (Kappale kauneinta Suomea), Jukka Kärkkäinen, 94 min, Finland/ Sweden/ Norway, 2026 |
| Motivation: The jury is pleased to give an honourable mention to a film that stands out as a peculiar story of family, love and loneliness and, in a certain sense, of life on the margins. We commend its meticulous framing, its sense of humour embracing the absurd, and the rigorous, empathetic perspective that informs the entire film and draws us into a close and tender bond with its protagonists. An honourable mention goes to The Beauty of Errors by Jukka Kärkkäinen. |
| Synopsis: The film explores the evolving bond between a father and son. As years pass, their closeness grows. But when Henri chooses a life with his girlfriend, Tero must learn to face his world alone. |
| About the director: Jukka Kärkkäinen has been making documentary films since 2003. He is the co-founder of the production company Mouka Filmi. His previous titles include the National Film Award-winning documentaries The Living Room of the Nation (2009) and The Punk Syndrome (2012). Jukka’s documentaries have screened at major festivals such as Hot Docs, SXSW, CPH:DOX, and Sheffield Doc/Fest, and have been shown on all continents — including Antarctica. The Living Room of the Nation was also screened at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. |
| BEST NORDIC SHORT FILM |
| PLEASE by Anna Mantzaris |
 |
| PLEASE (PLEASE), Anna Mantzaris, 10 min, Sweden/France/Czechia/Norway/Finland, 2026 |
| Motivation: The film shows a world where loneliness, desire and the need for connection are treated with both humour and compassion. Through seemingly simple encounters, it reveals the very human wish to be seen, accepted and loved. A beautifully crafted, original and emotionally resonant film, the award for the Best Nordic Short Film goes to PLEASE by Anna Mantzaris. |
| Synopsis: A dark comedy about the desire to love and be loved, even in our most fragile and shameful moments. Told through a series of loosely connected, tender and absurd scenes, the film follows people searching for intimacy and understanding. In a world that demands self-control, Please explores the emotions we try to hide – the ones that make us needy and pathetic. Gradually, the stories form a portrait of collective longing. |
| About the director: Anna Mantzaris is a director and stop-motion filmmaker whose work blends awkwardness, dark humour and the quiet absurdity of the human condition. She is drawn to characters who don’t quite hold it together—strange, yet relatable. Her work has won more than 100 international awards, including an Emmy, an Annie and a European Animation Award. Anna holds an MA in Animation from the Royal College of Art, London, and has worked as an animator on projects including Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. In addition to making films, she has lectured at institutions such as the Royal College of Art (UK), Konstfack (SE), the National Film School of Denmark (DK) and the National Film and Television School (UK). |
| About the Award: The Best Nordic Short Film Award is presented to one of the 19 films selected for the competition. The award goes to the director(s) of the winning film. The prize-winning film may be eligible to submit for The Academy Awards consideration in the Short Film category. |
| Prize: The cash award of 5.000€ is sponsored by the associations of Danish Film Directors and Swedish Film Directors. |
| HONOURABLE MENTION |
| Mother Creature by Maria Tórgarð |
 |
| Mother Creature (Mammuskepilsið),Maria Tórgarð, 30 min, Sweden/Faroe Islands, 2026 |
| Motivation: A tender exploration of a close relationship between a mother and daughter. The film takes on the topic of illness and unpacks its complex layers in a creative and heartwarming way. An honourable mention goes to Mother Creature by Maria Tórgarð. |
| Synopsis: A daughter attempts to pull the monster of her childhood out from under the bed in an original, deeply personal and creative film about her mother’s mental illness. |
| About the director: Maria Tórgarð (b. 1997), from the Faroe Islands, currently based in Stockholm, Sweden, graduated as a film director from Stockholm University of the Arts in 2025. She has received several awards, notably for the documentary Skál (2021) and the short hybrid documentary Mother Creature (2025). She is currently developing her upcoming documentary film, Knots. |
| NEW NORDIC VOICE AWARD |
| Son by Leona Cauklija |
 |
| Son (Son), Leona Cauklija, 14 min, Sweden, 2025 |
| Motivation: For a film that champions a strong new voice taking cinematic risks through captivating editing which invites the audience to join an intimate journey, through a concise and contained story full of hope, told through memory, longing, graffiti tags…the New Nordic Voice award goes to Son by Leona Cauklija. |
| Synopsis: A mother sees her homeless son’s graffiti-tags wherever she goes. She interprets his signatures as signals to her and wants to respond. She starts writing “Son” under his tags. One day, she suddenly gets a reply. Under Son it now says “Hello mom”. |
| About the director: Leona Cauklija is an artist and filmmaker based in Stockholm, educated at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm and in Copenhagen. Leona sees art as a form of communication beyond language, distance, age, and intellect. In her work, she explores how different art forms-and their distinct audiences- can intersect and foster a dialogue between worlds that rarely touch. Through film, she seeks to mediate between the tags on utility boxes and the signatures at Bukowskis, bridging the gap between the street and the fine art salon. The film Son is dedicated to anyone with a heart for graffiti, anyone with a heart against graffiti, and anyone with a mother’s heart. Son was awarded Best Documentary at the Tampere Film Festival in Finland in 2026 and received an Honorable Mention at the Uppsala Short Film Festival in 2025. Leona is currently working on her next production, Mother Tongue, which is expected to premiere in 2028. |
| About the Award: The New Nordic Voice competition introduces promising Nordic filmmakers whose work are among their first releases or filmmakers who have shifted their filmmaking format. 15 films compete for the New Nordic Voice Award, which is awarded to the director(s) of the winning film. |
| Prize: The cash award of 5.000€ is sponsored by Film i Skåne. |
| YOUNG NORDIC AWARD |
| The Karaoke King by Karin Tötterman |
 |
| The Karaoke King, (Min morbror Karaokekungen), Karin Tötterman, 13 min, Sweden, 2026 |
| Synopsis: School is over for the year, and 10-year-old Ella’s friends are making plans for the summer holidays. But Ella’s mums are both working, so Ella has to stay with her awkward uncle for a week. And, as if that wasn’t enough, it turns out he’s going to a karaoke competition full of old people. |
| About the director: Karin Tötterman is a writer, director and producer; born in Finland but based in Sweden, with extensive experience internationally. Having previously worked mainly with journalism and documentaries, she has recently started working more with fiction. Karin speaks 6 languages and holds an MSc from the London School of Economics. |
| About the Award: The 9 films in the Young Nordic competition compete for the love of our most critical viewers. We ask our youngest festival audience to tell us which film they like the best and award the winning director(s) with the Young Nordic Award. |
| Prize: The cash award of 1.500€ is sponsored by the City of Malmö |
| CITY OF MALMÖ’S AUDIENCE AWARD |
| Little Sinner by Daro Hansen & Thomas Papapetros |
 |
| Little Sinner (Little Sinner), Daro Hansen & Thomas Papapetros, 94 min, Denmark, 2026 |
| Synopsis: In Damascus in 2007, journalism student Daro enters a sham engagement to protect her family, only to be trapped in a brutal, forced marriage. With help from her Danish boyfriend, she escapes to Denmark. However, the Syrian civil war triggers her repressed trauma, driving her to the frontlines of the refugee crisis. Using 20 years of archives, in a raw study of resilience and healing, the film reveals a haunting truth: her deepest wound isn’t the abuse itself, but her mother’s betrayal. |
| About the directors: Daro Hansen (Journalist/Filmmaker, Syrian Doc Days co-founder). She is a Syrian-Danish filmmaker and journalist based in Copenhagen. Her work bridges storytelling across film and television productions in Denmark and internationally, Since 2013, she has worked as a director and producer at Turning Tables and is co-founder of Syrian Doc Days Film Festival in Copenhagen. Thomas Papapetros (Burma VJ, The Western Arabs). |
| About the Award: To receive the City of Malmö’s Audience Award at Nordisk Panorama Film Festival is among the finest recognitions a filmmaker can get. The audience can vote for any of the Nordic short films and documentaries competing in the main competition programmes. The award goes to the director(s) of the winning film. |
| Prize: The cash award of 2.500€ is sponsored by the City of Malmö |
| NORDIC DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER AWARD |
 |
| Juha Löppönen, Mouka Filmi, Finland |
| Motivation: This year’s winner stays calm when things don’t go as planned, always keeping the film and the director at the centre. In an extremely challenging production landscape, he continues to create ambitious films, build Nordic collaborations and generously share their knowledge. He embodies the spirit of Nordic documentary filmmaking. The Nordic Documentary Producer Award 2026 goes to Juha Löppönen. |
| About the producer: Juha Löppönen is an acclaimed Finnish film producer and partner at the Helsinki-based Mouka Filmi. With over a decade of dedicated experience in the non-fiction storytelling, Löppönen produces socially engaged, human-centric and environmentally conscious documentary features. His work frequently crosses borders through major European co-productions and international film festivals. Beyond creative producing, Löppönen is an active industry leader who has held multiple positions of trust across various film sector organisations and initiatives. |
| About the Award: The Nordic Documentary Producer Award will be given to a producer whose leadership, courage and willingness to take risks has helped ensure the development of emerging talents and advanced documentary as an art form. One producer from each of the Nordic countries has been nominated based on work completed within the previous five years. As nominations will be coordinated by the national director’s guilds, the award is a unique opportunity for directors to honour the producers who have supported them in realising their creative vision. |
| Prize: The cash award of 10.000€ is sponsored by Nordisk Panorama, Danish Producers’ Association, Virke Norwegian Producers Association, Filmproducenternas Rättighetsförening (FRF), and the Icelandic Filmmakers Association. |
| DAE TALENT ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD |
| Knots by Maria Tórgarð (Faroe Islands) |
 |
| Knots (Faroe Islands) Directed by Maria Tórgarð Produced by Maria Tórgarð and Gustav Ahnelöv from íMYND film |
| Winner DAE Talent Encouragement Award: Maria Tórgarð, director of Knots (Faroe Islands) and produced by Gustav Ahnelöv from íMYND film Motivation: The DAE Talent Encouragement Award goes to a filmmaker who documents a historic moment in the history of her country, breaking generations of silence. With unique access to the process, and the insight into being a pioneer herself, I think her film will manage to present a both inspiring and a nuanced portrait. The director is definitely a bold and emerging voice in the documentary field. About the Award: For the second year, Nordisk Panorama is partnering with the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) to present the DAE Talent Encouragement Award, supporting bold emerging voices in documentary filmmaking. Nominees include the directors of our five Wildcard projects and filmmakers pitching their first or second solo-directed feature at this year’s Nordisk Panorama Forum. The winner will receive a personalised mentoring session with a documentary expert and a one-year DAE membership, including access to online sessions, discounted festival passes and professional development opportunities. The award will be judged by Thorvald Nilsen, producer at Indie Film Bergen and DAE representative. Read more about DAE |
