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Set up at Nordisk Film (“Loveable,” “The Girl With a Needle” “Out of Athens,” the feature debut of Badrudin Ga’ar (“Tilt”), has won the Film Finances Scandinavia Award, granted to a title at the Göteborg Festival Nordic Film Market’s Discovery co-production platform, highlighting Nordic film projects. The plaudit recognizes a Nordic feature project that demonstrates artistic excellence and international potential.
In the other top award announced Thursday by the Nordic Film Market, “Chentian,” the second directorial feature of Suha Arraf, the writer of Eran Ricklis’ “The Syrian Bride,” a Locarno Audience Award winner, walked off with the Tint Post-Production Award. Both prizes are substantial: The Film Finances Scandinavia Award includes, for example, €15,000 ($17,850) in development aid, while the Tint Post-Production Award is worth €35,000 ($41,650) in services.
Both Awards also carry the prestige of winning out at the world’s top marketplace for Nordic films as these continue to score Oscar nominations (Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value”, Palme d’Ors (Ruben Östlund’s “The Square,” “Triangle of Sadness”) and significant sales around the world in select cases.
‘Out of Athens’
Written by Ga’ur, an Oslo-based Norwegian/Somali screenwriter-director and alum of Westerdals, Kristiania University College, “Out of Athens” takes an immigration theme, one of his central concerns, and gives it several twists, delivering a social -issue romantic drama with a thriller edge.
Described as an “intimate thriller,” in “Out of Athens,” Maja, a Norwegian woman, is hired by a smuggler to pose as the lover of Kasim, an undocumented man attempting to cross Europe. “What begins as a performance slowly turns into something real and dangerous,” says the synopsis.
“The jury decided to award a new talent, a filmmaker who took many risks to be here and tell this story. This film presents a timely, global issue by intertwining it with a deeply personal experience and the hope that young love inspires. After careful deliberation, the jury decided to award the Film Finances Scandinavia Award to Out of Athens,” said the powerful Film Finances Scandinavia Award jury, made up of Cannes Critics’ Week program manager Thomas Rosso, Protagonist Pictures creative executive Emilie Szemraj and Max Malka, an executive producer at Banijay Finland.
‘Chentian’
Produced by May Odeh at Palestine’s Odeh Films and Germany’s Mayana Films, “Chentian” marks Arraf’s follow-up to Venice Critics’ Week title “Villa Touma,” after Arraf leapt to attention penning Eran Ricklis, “The Syrian Bride,” a Locarno Audience Award winner, and co-writing his “Lemon Tree,” which scored European Film Award nominations for actress (Hiam Abbas) and screenwriter.
Set in what the synopsis describes as a Palestinian village inside “Israel,” “Chentian” focuses like all those films on the fate of women, turning on two sisters-in-law, Nabila and Shams, subject to an exchange marriage, who have to navigate hidden desires when when becomes a widow, and the three of eviction from their land.
“A poetic story of women fighting for liberation. The sisters’ personal struggles reflect the complexity of the political context surrounding them. While trying to defend their land, they must deal with their identity and hidden desire of sexuality. In a quiet and delicate way, the film will bring us a story of hope for women who won’t accept being silenced,” said the Tint jury of Malika Rabahallah, director of Filmfest Hamburg, Charades festival manager Léonard Altmann and Thomas Robsahm a Nordisk Film producer.
Other Nordic Film Market Awards and Details
In further recognition, “Tropical Malaise,” directed by Jorge Cadena, was awarded the Coprocity Development Award 2025 by Cineuropa, including a €3,500 grant and a €2,800 promotional campaign by Cineuropa. A Special Mention in he same award to Catherine Maximoff’s animated feature project film ”The Legends of Salamanders,” produced by France’s Contes Modernes.
Presented by Göteborg’s post-production company Tint, the award recognizes an exceptional project from the Nordic Gateway section, offering post-production services, color grading and access to Tint’s Dolby Atmos Theatrical mixing stage, to support the winning project’s artistic vision.
Nordic Gateway, the Nordic Film Market’s new section launched in 2025, showcases six international feature projects seeking connection with Nordic partners. Discoveryis the market’s platform showcasing feature films in development, promoting Nordic talents and fostering international co-production, financing and sales connections.
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