Bergen International Film Festival

Annual film festival in Bergen, Norway From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) is a film festival held annually in October in Bergen, Norway since 2000. It is one of the biggest film festivals in Norway and among the most important documentary film festivals in the Nordic countries. The festival celebrated its 25th edition in 2024, featuring more than 120 films in the program and received more than 55,000 admissions. The festival is owned by Bergen kino.

LocationBergen, Norway
Founded2000
LanguageNorwegian & English
Websitehttp://www.biff.no/
Quick facts Location, Founded ...
Bergen International Film Festival
LocationBergen, Norway
Founded2000
LanguageNorwegian & English
Websitehttp://www.biff.no/
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The festival's main venue is Bergen kino, with additional screenings taking place at Kvarteret and the cultural hub USF Verftet (Georgernes Verft), where the art film theatre Cinemateket and the event venue Røkeriet is located.

The festival is especially renowned for its strong documentary selection, with programs on human rights, the climate and environment, architecture, and academic research. These programs are presented in collaboration with relevant organizations, and screenings are often combined with introductions or panel debates, further enhancing the festival´s ability to inspire and spark a conversation. As a vibrant hub for new films and perspectives, the festival has become a destination for film-lovers in Norway, and a platform for a more informed, connected, and creative society.

History

Bergen kino, the main venue of BIFF.

In 2000, Bergen was a European Capital of Culture. Due to the occasion, the city of Bergen through Bergen kino established the Bergen International Film Festival, with the most important films from the festival circuit of the year and many sneak previews of movies already picked up for Norwegian distribution. BIFF was one of the most successful events to take place during the celebration of the Cultural City, and was arranged again the year after.

Over the years the festival has grown to become the biggest film festival in Norway, with more than 120 films and 55,000 admissions in 2024.

Programmes

Bergen International Film Festival is organised in various sections:

  • Cinema Extraordinaire, the main international competition program of fiction films.
  • Documentaire Extraordinaire, the main international competition program of documentary films.
  • Checkpoints, a competition program consisting of documentaries focusing on human rights, in collaboration with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights. Since 2010, a jury has selected a winner, where the prize is awarded to the organization or cause depicted in the film.
  • The Golden Owl, a competition program consisting of documentaries focusing on the dissemination of science and research, in collaboration with the University of Bergen.
  • Norwegian Documentary Program, with competition programs for best Norwegian documentary and best Norwegian short documentary.
  • Norwegian Short Film Competition, a competition program of best Norwegian short fiction film.
  • Norwegian Music Video Competition, a competition program of best Norwegian music video.

BIFF and education

Bergen International Film Festival has an extensive program for high school and junior high school students in Bergen. BIFFs offers schools in the area to participate in two different programs:

BIFF for Schools

For more than 20 years, Bergen International Film Festival has offered free film screenings with educational materials for schools. The selection is linked to the three cross-curricular themes in the Norwegian school system: democracy, sustainability and public health.

In 2010, former mayors of Bogotá, Antanas Mockus and Enrique Peñalosa held strong appeals to students of the power of local democracy after the showings of Bogota Change.

The School Film Festival

From 2003 to 2019 BIFF offered a crash course film school for junior high schools, with professional filmmakers holding seminars. The festival made camera and editing stations available for the students, and awarded one school each year for best student film.

Audience Numbers

More information Year, Admissions ...
Audience numbers[1]
YearAdmissions
20009,000
200123,000
200225,000
200330,500
200433,800
200533,500
200637,400
200739,780
200843,700
200944,059
201044,582
201150,788
201250,385
201353,333
201456,302
201557,292
201664,246
201763,840
201868,500
201961,073
202031014
202148,455
202252,374
202351,329
202455,889
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Awards at Bergen International Film Festival

Cinema Extraordinare

The main award at the Bergen International Film Festival is presented to the best feature film. It was awarded from 2000 to 2010 and again since 2016. The award has had its current name since 2007. From 2000 to 2005 it was called The Jury's Award, and in 2006 to 2007 it was named The Norwegian Film Institute's Import Award, which included Norwegian distribution as part of the prize.

Best International Documentary/Documentaire Extraordinaire

Awarded since 2004. The prize is 30,000 NOK, since 2013 awarded by NRK.

Best Norwegian Documentary

Awarded since 2011. The prize is awarded by NRK.

  • 2011: Folk ved fjorden, directed by Øyvind Sandberg
  • 2012: De andre, directed by Margreth Olin
  • 2013: Banaz A Love Story, directed by Deeyah Khan
  • 2014: Drone, directed by Tonje Hessen Schei
  • 2015: Voldtatt, directed by Linda Steinhoff
  • 2016: Barneraneren, directed by Jon Haukeland
  • 2017: Nowhere to Hide, directed by Zaradasht Ahmed[2]
  • 2018: For vi er gutta, directed by Petter Sommer, Jo Vemund Svendsen[3]
  • 2019: Descent into the Maelstrom, directed by Jan Vardøen[4]
  • 2020: Odelsgut og Fantefølge, directed by Merethe Offerdal Tveit[5]
  • 2021: Sommerbarna, directed by Linn Helene Løken[6]
  • 2022: Hidden Letters, directed by Violet Du Feng & Zhao Qing[7]
  • 2023: Mammaen i Meg, directed by Hilde Merete Haug[8]
  • 2024: Pet Farm, directed by Finn & Martin Walther[9]

Checkpoints

Awarded since 2010 and one of the main prizes at BIFF, selected by a jury from a competition program consisting of films focusing on human rights.

The Golden Owl

Awarded by the University of Bergen since 2014 to the best science documentary, selected by a jury.

Best Norwegian Short Film

Awarded since 2004.

  • 2003: Fear Less, directed by Therese Jacobsen
  • 2004: The Bible, directed by Bjørn Amundlien
  • 2005: Drømme kan du gjøre senere, directed by Thomas A. Østbye
  • 2006: Drømmehuset, directed by Øystein Mamen
  • 2007: Bo jo cie kochom (Fordi jeg elsker deg), directed by Gine Therese Grønner
  • 2008: Ekornet, directed by Stian Einar Forgaard
  • 2009: Skylappjenta, directed by Iram Haq
  • 2010: Jenny, directed by Ingvild Søderlind
  • 2011: Asyl, directed by Jørn Utkilen
  • 2012: Å vokte fjellet, directed by Izer Aliu
  • 2013: Money Back Please, directed by Even Hafnor
  • 2014: Ja vi elsker, directed by Hallvar Witzø
  • 2015: Small Talk, directed by Even Hafnor
  • 2016: The Committee, directed by Gunnhild Enger
  • 2017: No Man is an Island, directed by Ali Parandian[2]
  • 2018: Kulturen, directed by Ernst De Geer[3]
  • 2019: Fun Factory, directed by Even Hafnor, Lisa Brooke Hansen[4]
  • 2020: Papapa, directed by Kerren Lumer-Klabbers[5]
  • 2021: Stikk, directed by Tobias Klemeyer Smith[6]
  • 2022: Portør, directed by Lisa Enes[7]
  • 2023: Grill, directed by Jade Hærem Aksnes[8]
  • 2024: Velkommen Hjem, directed by Amanda Nalbant Nordpoll[9]

Best Norwegian Short Documentary

Awarded since 2011. Awarded by VGTV.

  • 2011: Selger 327, directed by Kari Anne Moe
  • 2012: Havets sølv, directed by Are Pilskog
  • 2013: Du velger selv, directed by Kajsa Næss
  • 2014: Dette er Kabul, directed by Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Nargis Azaryun, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss
  • 2015: Asylbarna: Farida, directed by Ragnhild Sørheim og Christer Fasmer
  • 2016: Boys, directed by Sunniva Sundby
  • 2017: I det fri, directed by Edvard Karijord, Bendik Mondal[2]
  • 2018: The Future of Iraq, directed by Thee Yezen Al-Obaide, Mats Muri[3]
  • 2019: Filmen om Farmor, directed by Anine Wiesner Barg[4]
  • 2020: Greetings From Myanmar, directed by Sunniva Sundby, Andreas J. Riiser[5]
  • 2021: Skolen ved Havet, directed by Solveig Melkeraaen[6]
  • 2022: Wherever I Look, directed by Emilie Adelina Monies[7]
  • 2023: Siste Kapittel, directed by Frøydis Fossli Moe[8]
  • 2024: Behind the Mask, directed by Håvard Bustnes[9]

Best Norwegian Music Video

Awarded 2017-2020. Replaced Best Scandinavian Music Video.

  • 2017: Daniel Kvammen feat. Lars Vaular - "Som om Himmelen Revna", directed by Eivind Landsvik
  • 2018: Hanne Hukkelberg feat. Emilie Nicolas - "Embroidery", directed by Alam Ali
  • 2019: Teddy and the Love Gang - "Nozomi", directed by Håvard Glad
  • 2020: The Musical Slave - "They can´t stop you", directed by Kristin Vollset
  • 2021: Ane Brun - "Crumbs", directed by Stian Andersen[6]
  • 2022: Gundelach - "Golden", directed by Fredrik Harper[7]
  • 2023: Rick Grove - "Blur", directed by Elliot Houwing-Endresen[8]
  • 2024: Honningbarna- "Avanti", directed by Sander Dahl[9]

The Audience Award

Youth Jury's Documentary Award

A prize awarded since 2004 by a jury consisting of high school students that choose from the films that is a part of the BIFF for Schools program.

Young Talent Award

A cash prize awarded from Vestnorsk Filmsenter since 2005.

  • 2005: Aleksander Nordaas
  • 2006: Morvary Samaré and Astrid Schau-Larsen
  • 2007: Tor Kristian Liseth
  • 2008: Olav Øyehaug
  • 2009: Espen Faugstad and Eivind Nilsen
  • 2010: Kedy Hassani
  • 2011: Frida Eggum Michaelsen
  • 2012: Are Pilskog
  • 2013: Mads Andersen
  • 2014: Kjell Mathiesen
  • 2015: Hildegunn Wærness
  • 2016: David Alræk
  • 2017: Arne Daniel Storevold Haldorsen[2]
  • 2018: Thorvald Nilsen[3]
  • 2019: Unknown[4]
  • 2020: Selim Mutic[5]
  • 2021: Benjamin Garcia Langeland[6]
  • 2022: Mathilde Meraki Ypsøy[7]
  • 2023: Sivert Kalvø Harang og Christer Steffensen[8]
  • 2024: Birk Øren[9]

Best Scandinavian Music Video (discontinued)

Awarded 2010-2013.

  • 2010: Torgny - "The Only Game", directed by Emil Trier  Norway
  • 2011: Who Made Who - "Every Minute Alone", directed by William Stahl  Denmark
  • 2012: Todd Terje - "Inspector Norse", directed by Kristoffer Borgli  Norway
  • 2013: The Knife - a Tooth for an Eye,  Sweden

The Critic's Award (discontinued)

Only awarded once, by the film journalists attending the festival in 2003.

The Festival by year

References

External links

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