Tromso International Film Festival (TIFF)

Overview

Tromso International Film Festival (TIFF) is the world's northernmost A-list film festival, held annually in January above the Arctic Circle in Tromso, Norway. The 36th edition took place January 19 to 25, 2026, recording 68,795 total visits including 62,864 cinema admissions, an increase from the already strong 2025 edition. The festival programmed 203 films from around the world, with the programme committee watching more than 400 films before selecting just over 80 titles for the main program. The 37th edition is scheduled for January 18 to 24, 2027.

For international filmmakers, TIFF offers something no other festival can match: outdoor screenings in the polar night. The festival sets up an outdoor cinema at Stortorget, the main square in the heart of Tromso, where screenings take place every morning and afternoon throughout the festival week in the dark Arctic winter. The outdoor cinema welcomed 3,500 children during the 2026 festival week. The combination of high-quality international cinema and the unique Arctic setting has made TIFF a beloved winter festival that draws audiences from across Norway and beyond.

The festival's main competition is the Aurora Prize, awarded to the best film in the main competition by an international jury. All films in the competition must have their Norwegian premiere at TIFF. The winning director receives EUR 5,000. The 2026 Aurora Prize went to A Sad and Beautiful World directed by Cyril Aris (Lebanon/Germany). If you are a filmmaker with an international feature seeking a European festival premiere in a distinctive setting, TIFF accepts film submissions through their website. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate submission costs.

Key Sections

• Main Competition (Aurora Prize) - 12 international films competing for the Aurora Prize (EUR 5,000), all having their Norwegian premiere at TIFF. The 2026 jury consisted of screenwriter/director/producer Eliza Hittman (USA), director/producer Johannes Vang (Norway), and producer Gaia Furrer, Artistic Director of Giornate degli Autori at the Venice Film Festival (Italy).
• Films from the North - the festival's most popular side program, now in its 26th year, presenting films from the Barents Region and other circumpolar areas. Films are qualified if the subject, production, or director is connected to Sapmi, northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Canada, as well as Alaska, Iceland, and Greenland. The 2026 edition included 16 world premieres and set a new audience record with more than 10,000 attendees.
• TIFF Digital - online screenings offering six films available on demand during the festival, with a limited number of tickets per film and fixed start times.
• Outdoor Cinema - free outdoor screenings at Stortorget, the main square in Tromso, taking advantage of the polar night darkness. Screenings run every morning and afternoon throughout the festival week.
• Special Screenings - gala screenings, silent film concerts, and special events at unique venues including the empty swimming pool at Alfheim.
• Industry Programme - networking and professional development for Nordic and international film professionals, including the Nordic Film Market and co-production meetings.

Submission Details

International feature films: Tromso International Film Festival screens international feature films from all over the world. These films are carefully selected based on the festival's knowledge of world cinema and the annual output of quality films. The submission deadline for the 2027 edition is November 1, 2026. Filmmakers should submit through the TIFF film submission page.

Films from the North: This is the only section where TIFF accepts shorts and documentaries, as well as features. Submissions are done online from the TIFF website. The submission deadline for the 2027 edition is October 9, 2026. If the film is not completed at the time of submission, filmmakers should contact the festival to arrange later delivery. The selection is announced by early December 2026. All screening copies of selected films should be in Tromso by January 5, 2027.

Films from the North eligibility:

• Feature films, shorts, and documentaries are eligible
• Films are qualified if the subject, the production, or the director is connected to Sapmi, northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Canada, as well as Alaska, Iceland, and Greenland
• The Tromso Palm (Tromsopalmen) is awarded to the best short film and best feature film in the Films from the North program, with a prize of EUR 5,000 to the short film's director and EUR 2,500 to the feature film's director

Nordic filmmakers: Filmmakers from the Nordic countries who want to present their feature films at TIFF should contact Festival and Programme Director Lisa Hoen or Programme Director Henning Rosenlund directly.

Submission fees: TIFF does not charge a submission fee for international feature films or Films from the North submissions. This makes it accessible to filmmakers regardless of financial resources.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Attendance and audience: TIFF 2026 recorded 68,795 total visits during the festival week, with 62,864 cinema admissions. This is a substantial audience for a festival of its size, reflecting the festival's deep integration into the Tromso community. The outdoor cinema alone welcomed 3,500 children during the festival week. Films from the North set a new audience record with more than 10,000 attendees. For filmmakers, this means your film screens to engaged, enthusiastic audiences, not just industry professionals.

Aurora Prize competition: The Aurora Prize is TIFF's main award, presented to the best film in the main competition. All 12 films in the 2026 competition had their Norwegian premiere at the festival, with 10 of the 12 being European co-productions. The winning director receives EUR 5,000. The Aurora Prize jury is composed of international film professionals. Recent winners include Happy Holidays (Scandar Copti, 2025), Housekeeping for Beginners (Goran Stolevski, 2024), and Women Talking (Sarah Polley, 2023). Housekeeping for Beginners went on to be shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, demonstrating the Aurora Prize's role as an early indicator of awards-season potential.

FIPRESCI Prize: TIFF is accredited by FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics), and the festival hosts an international jury of professional film critics who award the FIPRESCI Prize. The 2026 FIPRESCI Prize went to Broken Voices directed by Ondrej Provaznik (Czech Republic/Slovakia), praised for its "strong performances and striking 16 mm cinematography." The 2026 FIPRESCI jury consisted of Ida Madsen Hestman (Norway), Sarah-Louise Pelletier-Morin from Le Devoir Weekly (Canada), and Tadeusz Szczepanski from Monthly Film Magazine KINO (Poland).

No submission fee: TIFF does not charge a submission fee, which is unusual for a festival of its scale and quality. This makes it accessible to filmmakers regardless of budget. However, the selection process is curated rather than fully open. The programme committee watches more than 400 films before selecting approximately 80 titles for the main program.

European Youth Capital 2026: As Tromso was European Youth Capital 2026, youth perspectives were integrated into the festival structure. TIFF launched the Young Curators initiative, where nine young curators actively participated in programme development, introduced films, and remained visible throughout the festival week. This created additional programming and audience development opportunities for youth-oriented films.

Arctic setting as programming advantage: The polar night provides TIFF with a unique programming advantage. Outdoor screenings in the dark Arctic winter create a festival atmosphere that cannot be replicated. The festival also uses unconventional venues, including the empty swimming pool at Alfheim for silent film concerts. The 2026 edition featured Stella Polaris with a live performance by Carl Christian Lein Stormer together with Barentsband (musicians from the Norwegian and Swedish hardcore and metal scene) and Haxan performed by Cult Member.

Major Awards

• Aurora Prize - best film in the main competition, awarded by an international jury. The winning director receives EUR 5,000. Films must have their Norwegian premiere at TIFF to be eligible.
• FIPRESCI Prize - international critics' award, presented by a jury of professional film critics from FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics)
• Tromso Audience Award - voted by festival audiences throughout the festival week. The 2026 winner was Calle Malaga by Maryam Touzani.
• Norwegian Peace Film Award - awarded to a film that promotes peace and understanding. The 2026 winner was It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi.
• Tromso Palm (Short Film) - best short film in Films from the North, with EUR 5,000 to the director. The 2026 winner was Borderline by Johannes Vang.
• Tromso Palm (Feature Film) - best feature film in Films from the North, with EUR 2,500 to the director. The 2026 winner was The Ground Beneath Our Feet by Yrsa Roca Fannberg.
• Faith in Film Award - the 2026 winner was Little Trouble Girls by Urska Djukic.
• Arctic Film Young Directors Award - the 2026 winner was Woolgod / Ullguden by Sirin Sponga.

Festival History

Tromso International Film Festival was first held in 1991, with a total attendance of 5,200. The festival was created to bring high-quality international cinema to the Arctic region of Norway, taking advantage of the polar night to create a unique winter festival experience. The outdoor cinema at Stortorget, using the dark Arctic winter as a natural backdrop, has been a defining feature since the early years.

The festival grew steadily through the 1990s and 2000s. The Aurora Prize was established as the festival's main competition award, with the first winner being Y Tu Mama Tambien by Alfonso Cuaron in 2002. Over the years, the Aurora Prize has recognized films that went on to significant international recognition, including Women Talking (Sarah Polley, 2023), which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Housekeeping for Beginners (Goran Stolevski, 2024), which was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Films from the North was launched as a side program and has grown into the festival's most popular section, now in its 26th year. The program presents films from the Barents Region and other circumpolar areas, providing a platform for Arctic and Indigenous filmmaking that has no equivalent at other major European festivals. The Tromso Palm award for Films from the North was established to recognize the best short and feature films from the region.

The festival has been an early adopter of digital programming. TIFF Digital offers online screenings of selected films during the festival, with a limited number of tickets per film and fixed start times, extending the festival's reach beyond those who can travel to Tromso.

By 2026, TIFF had grown to 68,795 total visits with 62,864 cinema admissions, programming 203 films from around the world. The festival's growth from 5,200 attendees in 1991 to nearly 69,000 in 2026 reflects both the expansion of Tromso as a cultural destination and the festival's reputation within the international film community. The 37th edition will take place January 18 to 24, 2027.

See Also

For Arctic and Nordic cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy and submission planning, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate whether festival submission fees are worth it for your budget, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For independent filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking.