Norway’s Amanda Award Winners: TIFF WW2 Drama ‘War Sailor’ Takes Top Honors

Zac Ntim
·3 min read
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The World War Two drama War Sailor — which debuted at last year’s Toronto Film Festival — swept Norway’s Amanda Awards last night, taking four main awards.

The War Sailor haul included best actor for Pål Sverre Hagen. This is his third Amanda and second consecutive win. Ine Marie Wilmann won the best supporting actress award for portraying Cecilia in the pic.

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The film, directed by Norwegian filmmaker Gunnar Vikene, centers on Alfred Garnes, a working-class sailor who has recently become the father of a third child. He and his childhood friend Sigbjørn Kvalen are working on a merchant ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean when World War II breaks out. They are unarmed civilians on the front lines of a war they never asked to join. The two men struggle for survival in a spiral of violence and death, where German submarines may attack their valuable vessels at any moment. Vikene’s feature film credits include Falling Sky, Trigger, Vegas, and Here Is Harold. He has also directed episodes of the Netflix series Borderliner.

Narvik and Let the River Flow both trailed War Sailor with three wins, of which the latter won best director and best film for director Ole Giæver and his producer Maria Ekerhovd.

This year, the Honorary Amanda Award was handed to Bente Børsum, best known for her roles in films like The Chase (1959), Journey to the Christmas Star (1976), and Late Summer (2016). The veteran actress can next be seen in Handling the Undead (2023), a horror-drama from Thea Hvistendahl set to hit cinemas this December.

The Amanda Awards are handed out as part of the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, which wraps on Aug 25. Check out the complete list of winners below:

Best Film:
Ellos eatnu – Let the River Flow

(Director: Ole Giæver, producer: Maria Ekerhovd)

Best Director:

Ole Giæver for Ellos eatnu – Let the River Flow

Best Actress: 
Ruby Dagnall for Sister, What Grows Where Land Is Sick?

Best actor:

Pål Sverre Hagen for War Sailor

Best Supporting Actress:
Ine Marie Wilmann for War Sailor

Best Supporting Actor:
Gard Emil for Ellos eatnu – Let the River Flow

Best Documentary:

Johansen Brothers

(Director and producer: Trude Berge Ottersen)

Best Children’s Film:
Dancing Queen

(Director: Aurora Gossé, producer: Thomas Robsahm)

Best Short Film:
Superdupermegagigasingle

(Director: Håkon Anton Olavsen, producer: Louise Beyer)

Best Foreign Language Film:

Close

(Director: Lukas Dhont, distributor: Arthaus)

Best Screenplay:
Kristoffer Borgli for Sick of Myself

Best Cinematography:

Sturla Brandth Grøvlen for War Sailor

Best Editing:
Thomas Grotmol for Thomas vs Thomas

Best Sound Design:
Espen Rønning and Bent Holm for Narvik

Best Original Score:

Elina Waage Mikalsen, Evelina Petrova, Viktor Bomstad, Franciska Seifert Eliassen and Matias Frøystad for Sister, What Grows Where Land Is Sick?

Best Costume:
Stefanie Bieker for War Sailor

Best Make-up:
Izzi Galindo and Dimitra Drakopoulou for Sick of Myself

Best Production Design:
Lise Hillkirk Olimb for Posession

Best Visual Effects:
Arne Kaupang, Alexander Kadim at Varg Studios, Anette Gjertsen at Stardust Effects, Lars Erik Hansen at Gimpville, Kai Kiønig Bortne at Storyline Studios and Morten Jacobsen at Storm Studios for Narvik

The People’s Amanda:

Narvik

(Director: Eirik Skjoldbjærg, producers: Aage Aaberge and Live Bonnevie)

Honorary Amanda:

Bente Børsum

The Golden Clapper:

Motlys

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