BRACE YOUR HEART AMONG THE FINALISTS TO BECOME SWEDEN’S OSCAR ENTRY

BRACE YOUR HEART NAMED FINALIST TO BECOME SWEDEN’S OSCAR ENTRY

Amanda Kernell’s Brace Your Heart is one of three finalists to become Sweden’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

The film, whose original Sámi title is Garrat du Váimmu, with the swedish title Gör hjärtat hår, follows 20-year-old Ejva as she takes responsibility for her family’s reindeer herd after her father’s death. It is written and directed by Amanda Kernell and produced by Eva Åkergren for Nordisk Film Production. The Sámi production company Forest People is among the film’s co-producers.

Brace Your Heart will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the European premiere will be in the main competition at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

The other two finalists for the Swedish entry are Alex Schulman’s Arkipelag and Jens Sjögren’s Jävla karlar. Sweden’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film will be announced at a press conference at Filmhuset in early September. The 99th Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.

Read the announcement from the Swedish film institute here (in swedish only).

About Brace Your Heart

Production by: Nordisk Film Production Sweden, in co-production with Forest People (Sápmi/Norway), Compass Films (Iceland), Invictus (Bulgaria), Nordisk Film Production Denmark, Filmpool Nord, SVT and Film i Väst.
Cast: Elli Sara Valkeapää, Andte Gaup-Juuso, Vincent Niia and more.

Ejva inherits her late father’s reindeer herd. As she struggles to keep the herd thriving, local leader Heaika falls for her, and though hesitant, she feels compelled to accept. But everything changes when Nejla, Heaika’s cousin, arrives, and Ejva discovers true love for the first time. Betrayed and jealous, Heaika reacts harshly, leaving Ejva with a condition that makes her hands shake uncontrollably, threatening her ability to care for the herd.

The film has received support from the Swedish Film Institute, Danish Film Institute, International Sámi Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Bulgarian National Film Centre, Icelandic Film Centre, Eurimages and Arktisk Film Norge. International sales are handled by TrustNordisk.