Oslo Pix Film Festival

Overview

Oslo Pix Film Festival is Oslo's international film festival. The 9th edition runs August 24 to 30, 2026, across venues including Vega, Klingenberg, and Cinemateket in Oslo, with additional events across the city. The festival is organized by The Oslo Festival Agency (Stiftelsen Festivalkontoret) in partnership with Nordisk Film Kino.

Oslo Pix focuses on Nordic cinema while programming international features and documentaries. The festival's main competitions are the Grand Pix Nordic Fiction (9 films, NOK 75,000 prize) and the Grand Pix Nordic Documentary (7 films, NOK 50,000 prize, sponsored by VGTV). The 2025 edition (8th) opened with Low Expectations (dir. Eivind Landsvik), which had its world premiere at Cannes, and closed with Fjord, the Palme d'Or winner from Cannes.

The 2026 edition will feature an outdoor screening of Sentimental Value (dir. Joachim Trier) at St. Hanshaugen on August 23, the day before the festival opens. Trier's film, a Norwegian-German-Danish-French-Swedish-British co-production, won enormous international success including a historic Oscar victory. The festival screened Trier's Oslo Trilogy at St. Hanshaugen Park in 2025.

Submission Details

Oslo Pix accepts film submissions of feature-length fiction and documentary films (over 60 minutes). Submissions are accepted through the festival website at oslopix.no/en/submit-a-film.

Submission process:

• The programming process is ongoing with no set deadline, but the festival recommends submitting early
• Submissions must include: director's name, synopsis (max 300 words), contact information, and a screening link
• The festival does not use FilmFreeway; submissions are handled directly through the festival website
• The submission deadline listed by international festival databases is May 1, 2026

Eligibility requirements:

• Feature-length fiction and documentary films over 60 minutes
• The festival programs Nordic cinema as its competition focus, with international films in sidebar sections
• Specific premiere requirements are determined during the programming process

Key Sections

• Grand Pix Nordic Fiction Competition - 9 fiction films from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland competing for NOK 75,000
• Grand Pix Nordic Documentary Competition - 7 documentary films from Nordic countries competing for NOK 50,000, sponsored by VGTV
• OsLOpitch - pitch competition for Norwegian screenwriters, with NOK 100,000 development prize presented by SpareBank 1 Ostlandet
• Seriedagene (Series Days) - Norway's largest industry day for TV series, held in connection with the festival
• Free Outdoor Cinema - screenings at St. Hanshaugen and Deichman Bjorvika
• Industry Program - professional events and networking for film professionals, with discounted industry pass

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Nordic Filmmakers

The Grand Pix competitions are limited to films from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland. The NOK 75,000 fiction prize and NOK 50,000 documentary prize are the festival's top awards. The 2025 fiction winner was My Eternal Summer (dir. Sylvia Le Fanu), a Norwegian debut from a Norwegian Film School graduate. The 2025 documentary winner was The Dialogue Police (dir. Susanna Edwards), a Swedish film about police dialogue departments. If your Nordic feature or documentary is completed in 2025 or 2026, Oslo Pix offers a focused Nordic competition with meaningful prize money and industry exposure.

For International Filmmakers

Oslo Pix programs international films outside the Nordic competition. The festival's audience is cosmopolitan and politically engaged, with strong attendance at international programming. Norway's well-funded public film financing system, anchored by the Norwegian Film Institute, creates useful industry connections for international filmmakers seeking Nordic co-production partners.

For Screenwriters

OsLOpitch is a pitch competition for Norwegian screenwriters, organized in collaboration with the Writers' Guild of Norway, LO, and SpareBank 1 Ostlandet. The 2025 winner was Marte Germaine Christensen with "Makt og hjelp," receiving NOK 100,000 for project development. The jury includes established filmmakers and industry professionals. OsLOpitch is open to Norwegian screenwriters with feature or series concepts.

For Industry Professionals

The festival offers an Industry Pass (NOK 825, application required) that provides access to professional events and networking opportunities. The Seriedagene (Series Days) program, held in connection with the festival, is Norway's largest industry day for TV series. The festival's partnership with Nordisk Film Kino provides access to premier cinema venues in central Oslo.

Ticket Prices (2026 edition)

• Regular tickets: NOK 175
• Special screenings: NOK 195
• Student tickets: NOK 145
• Children's tickets: NOK 110
• Festival Pass: NOK 1,295 (all regular screenings)
• Student Pass: NOK 825
• Industry Pass: NOK 825 (application required)

Major Awards

Grand Pix Nordic Fiction

• Grand Pix Nordic Fiction: NOK 75,000 (2025: My Eternal Summer, dir. Sylvia Le Fanu)
• Honorable Mentions: selected by the jury (2025: Flophouse America, dir. Monica Stromdahl; Acts of Love, dir. Jeppe Ronde)

Grand Pix Nordic Documentary

• Grand Pix Nordic Documentary: NOK 50,000, sponsored by VGTV (2025: The Dialogue Police, dir. Susanna Edwards)

Audience Award

• Audience Award: announced after the festival weekend

OsLOpitch

• OsLOpitch Winner: NOK 100,000 for project development, presented by SpareBank 1 Ostlandet (2025: Marte Germaine Christensen for "Makt og hjelp")

Festival History

Oslo Pix Film Festival was first organized in 2017. The festival was created to fill a gap in Oslo's cultural landscape: despite Norway's well-funded film industry and politically engaged audience, the capital lacked a dedicated international film festival with a Nordic competition focus. The first edition programmed 60 titles from North America and Europe, with a special focus on Nordic cinema.

The festival is a partnership between Nordisk Film Kino, Norway's largest cinema chain, and The Oslo Festival Agency (Stiftelsen Festivalkontoret). This partnership gives Oslo Pix access to Klingenberg and Saga, two of Oslo's premier cinema venues in the city center. The festival has grown from its inaugural edition to a seven-day event programming features, documentaries, and shorts across multiple venues.

The 2024 edition awarded the Grand Pix Nordic Fiction to When the Light Breaks (dir. Runar Runarsson) and the Grand Pix Nordic Documentary to Punishment (dir. Oystein Mamen). The 2025 edition marked the festival's 8th year, with the 9th edition confirmed for August 24 to 30, 2026.

Norway's oil wealth has funded one of the world's most generous public film financing systems through the Norwegian Film Institute, making Norwegian cinema one of the best-supported national industries in Europe. Oslo Pix provides the Norwegian public with an annual presentation of Nordic cinema alongside international programming, operating in close relationship with the Norwegian Film Institute.

See Also

For festival circuit planning and premiere strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the financial return of festival submissions, see the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For Nordic cinema and European film markets, see International Film Markets. For the Gothenburg Film Festival, another major Scandinavian festival, see Gothenburg Film Festival.