This Year's Films from the North Program is Ready - Opens with a Local Documentary

The largest sidebar of the Tromsø International Film Festival, Films from the North, highlights the best feature films and documentaries from Sápmi and the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.

An Extraordinary Ski Adventure Opens Films from the North

This year’s opening film was shot in Northern Norway, including the spectacular Lyngen Alps. Schirmer, who has previously shown his films at TIFF’s outdoor cinema, will this year see his latest documentary open the festival’s largest sidebar, Films from the North.

- It’s an incredible honor to open the Film from the North program, especially in Tromsø, my hometown. It’s particularly meaningful because it allows my friends and family to share the experience with me, says Schirmer.

In SKI, we meet Schirmer’s reserved childhood friend, Vegard Rye. As children, they spent their time skiing and dreaming of becoming professional skiers. Eventually, only Schirmer went pro, while Rye avoided the spotlight and adopted a rigorous training regime. His goal: to complete a life-threatening and physically demanding ski trek over 27 mountains in Northern Norway without stopping.

- I started filming when we were kids but had no idea our lives would turn out as they did. In that sense, we’re lucky to be part of a culture where documenting what we do is common, Schirmer explains.

Along with the Norwegian premiere of SKI, TIFF audiences will also get to see Schirmer’s short films WAVY and A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, both included in this year’s outdoor cinema program.

Competing for This Year’s Tromsø Palm

In addition to opening Films from the North, SKI will compete for the Tromsø Palm for feature films, an award first introduced during the 2024 festival.

- Beyond breathtaking ski scenes that leave you speechless, the film has a philosophical layer that made me reflect on finding one’s path in life. And it’s funny! A film with international appeal that’s bound to travel far and reach high, just like Nikolai Schirmer himself, says Astrid Aure, program director for Films from the North.

For only the second time in its history, the sidebar received a record number of submissions. During TIFF 2025, 13 films will have their world premieres alongside several international premieres. The program features works by established directors, including past winners of the Tromsø Palm and TIFF’s Audience Award, alongside some of the most exciting new voices from the North.

- Baltasar Kormákur, Miia Tervo, Simen Nyland, Eilif Bremer Landsend, Mohammed Jabaly, Jakob Arevärn, and Åse Svenheim Drivenes are all returning to TIFF with new films. At the same time, I recommend audiences keep an eye on Helena Stefansdottir, Manna Bergström, Regine Myhre, Silje Burgin-Borch, Vegard Bjørsmo, and Vonnie Larsson, just to name a few, says Aure.

Seven feature films will compete for Best Feature, while 31 short films will vie for Best Short Film. 

Films from Indigenous Perspectives

This year’s program reinforces Tromsø International Film Festival’s position as a key platform for Northern Indigenous cinema.

- We are showcasing powerful Sámi films like Liselotte Wajstedt and Marja Helander’s short film IN MY HAND, which tells the extraordinary life story of Niilas Somby. And we’re proud to present NINAN AUSSAT: WE, THE CHILDREN from leading Indigenous filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin, says Aure.

An exciting new development is the inclusion of two Tornedalian films by director Vonnie Larsson and producer Linnea Huhta, ALIAS TORNEDALEN and THE DIE-HARD VILLAGE, as well as the Kven film OH, MY HEART by Ingvild Haga.

The sidebar also features several films with or about other Northern Indigenous peoples, such as INKWO for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong, UKKO by Arina Mado, and WIND HAS NO TAIL by Ivan Vlasvo and Nikita Stashkevich.

The official opening of Films from the North will take place on Tuesday, January 14th. The festival runs in its entirety from January 13th-19th.

Check out the Film from the North feature films.

Check out the Film from the North shorts.