SÁMI FILMS RISING TROMSØ: Between Myth and Genre

JOIN US AT TIFF TROMSØ 2026:

Sámi Films Rising– Between Myth and Genre

The International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI) presents Sámi Films Rising at the Tromsø International Film Festival 2026—a professional and artistic panel discussion highlighting the rise of genre cinema in Sámi films.

When and where: Wednesday, January 2026, 16:00, Amtmandens, bakrommet

In recent years, Sámi cinema has made a significant mark both nationally and internationally, often rooted in powerful narratives about Sámi identity and contemporary life. In this session, ISFI wishes to highlight how Sámi filmmakers are increasingly utilizing and evolving established film genres—and how these genre expressions open new spaces for perspectives, aesthetics, and storytelling.

The panel presentation will offer audiences an exclusive look at four upcoming Sámi feature films in development, presented by their directors:

Elle Márjá Eira presents Boundless
A project that applies the visual language of the Western genre to a Sámi narrative, depicting the mountain plateau as a lawless frontier.

Katja Gauriloff presents Legend of the Northern Lights
A magical realist film where Sámi magic is woven into an intense love story that spans dimensions and reaches back to a mythical era.

Nils Gaup presents Finnmark in Flames
A grand-scale war film based on the dramatic events and the German scorched-earth tactic in Finnmark during World War II.

Ole Giæver presents Rávga
A horror film that seeks to understand fear through encounters with ancient Sámi monsters.

The conversation will be moderated by ISFI Film commissioner Silja Somby.

Sámi Films Rising is part of ISFI’s ongoing work to strengthen Sámi film development and showcase the breadth, ambition, and artistic power of today’s Sámi film industry.

The photoillustration is by Ole Giævers Rávga.