Full TIFF 2026 Line-Up Revealed

The 36th edition of the Tromsø International Film Festival presents a wide-ranging and artistically strong programme. The festival opens with SOLOMAMMA by Janicke Askevold, before audiences are taken into a line-up that combines political currents, moving stories and several of the most talked-about international titles.

– We have films from all over the world that vary in tone – from comedies to the utterly absurd to powerful, weighty dramas. What is special this year is that we have a couple of films that will almost certainly move you so deeply that you will cry. I heard from our student group that some people only cry at TIFF, so it becomes a kind of emotional catharsis, says Festival Director Lisa Hoen.

She then highlights a clear direction in this year’s selection:

– What stands out is our young focus. Our young programmers have contributed important perspectives and brought forward several gripping coming-of-age films.

According to Hoen, this is particularly relevant in a city with Norway’s youngest population.

– At TIFF we have become very strong on young perspectives thanks to the talented young people we work with. We have strengthened this youth perspective since Tromsø is the European Youth Capital in 2026, and we have close collaborations with Tvibit, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Arctic Student Welfare Organisation.

Among the films that clearly signal this year’s direction, Hoen highlights RENOIR, a warm and wondrous coming-of-age story that holds sorrow, imagination and a spirit of adventure – as well as the vulnerabilities that can shape the path towards adulthood. At the same time, she points out that the programme also embraces the opposite stages of life: CALLE MALAGA is described as a pure charm bomb, BLUE TRAIL takes audiences on a colourful journey through the Amazon, and THE GROUND BENEATH OUR FEET offers an intimate look at life in an Icelandic care home.

Two of the films in this year’s programme are made with the help of AI, and TIFF has set the stage for thorough discussions on the role of technology in the future of cinema.

– I am also pleased that we have two films in the programme made with artificial intelligence, which simultaneously comment on this highly topical theme. We will also host two seminars on the subject – one in collaboration with the university and one with Innovation Norway. Both directors will attend TIFF, so there will be many opportunities to discuss artificial intelligence and creativity, she says.

Assistant Programme Director Henning Rosenlund explains that the programme committee watched more than 400 films before selecting just over 80 titles. He is very pleased with this year’s line-up:

– We have secured all the films we hoped for. The Cannes titles we had our eye on are in place. The same goes for films relevant to the Golden Globes and the Oscars. It is an up-to-date programme that reflects the most interesting films in the world right now.

He also emphasises how several of this year’s films address serious themes:

– It is difficult to talk about the programme without mentioning the darker content in several films – fascism, Palestine and the war in Ukraine. It is a contemporary programme that mirrors our times and the unsettled world we live in.

The side programme EAST SIDE STORIES is strongly shaped this year by the situation between Russia and Ukraine. The war sets the premise for several films, and Rosenlund highlights three titles that go straight into the heart of the ongoing conflict. 2000 METRES TO ANDRIIVKA follows the Ukrainian offensive close to the frontline, with an extreme immediacy and a depiction of how demanding the work in the field truly is.

According to Rosenlund, the films clearly show the human cost of war, and they emerge as immediate anti-war stories that do not hide the brutality. He also highlights NOTES OF A TRUE CRIMINAL, which combines personal experiences with a historical perspective on the Soviet Union. TWO PROSECUTORS, based on stories from the Stalin era, can, he says, be read as a direct commentary on developments in Russia today.

Both Rosenlund and Hoen are looking forward to sharing the programme with audiences in January.

– Tromsø is transformed into a gathering place for film lovers during TIFF week. Filmmakers think it is great fun to come to the Arctic and witness the enthusiasm here. It is exciting that a small northern city can present films that are international talking points. The world comes to us that week, and it gives us a huge burst of energy at the end of the dark season, says Hoen.

See the full programme here. 

Ticket reservations open on Saturday 10 January at 10:00.