SCA25 Number 24

From multi award-winning director John Andreas Andersen (The Burning Sea, The Quake), Number 24 is a gripping new spy drama depicting the extraordinary true story of a modest young ‘every-man’ drawn into the resistance movement during World War II. Present day, Rjukan, Norway. An elderly Gunnar Sønsteby (Erik Hivju), prepares to address a group of students about what really happened during the occupation. He has given his speech many times before, but accessing these difficult memories still gives him immeasurable pause. In 1940, Germany has invaded Norway, and 22-year-old accountant Gunnar (Sjur Vatne Brean) immediately offers his services to the resistance. Single minded and rarely flustered, Gunnar’s meticulous planning and talent for espionage soon sees him head up the Oslo-gang, carrying out - in concert with remote assistance from Britain's MI5 - increasingly daring and nerve-wracking sabotage operations. Suspenseful and expertly crafted, with numerous clock-ticking action set-pieces, Number 24 compellingly probes the morality of wartime and the weight of responsibility in the fight for freedom, drawing comparisons to modern day events.

SCA25 Sentimental Value

From acclaimed director Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) and featuring an outstanding all-star cast, Sentimental Value is an intimate and moving exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art. Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World) is an established Oslo stage actress while her younger sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) has chosen family life with her young son. Though markedly different, the two are close, having been raised by a single mother after their filmmaker father’s departure years earlier. When the once renowned Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård, Dune, Chernobyl, Melancholia) attempts to cast Nora in his comeback film, old wounds reopen. Nora rejects his offer, prompting the isolated patriarch to cast American star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning, The Great) instead. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father and as Gustav and Nora attempt rapprochement, the already shaky foundation of the family unit is under threat of toppling. *Note - not screening in Perth

SCA25 Second Victims

Featuring a stellar cast led by Özlem Saglanmak (Borgen) and Trine Dyrholm (also in Beginnings), captivating drama Second Victims follows a neurologist on a shift that will change her life forever. Set against the backdrop of an understaffed stroke unit, skilled neurologist Alexandra’s (Saglanmak) unwavering confidence is put to the ultimate test when a routine case spirals out of control. As blame and guilt ripple through the hospital where she works, Alexandra confronts her own fallibility, grappling with the profound repercussions of medical misjudgments. Written and directed by Zinnini Elkington, this intense and introspective journey invites audiences to reflect on human frailty and redemption. Highlighting the emotional toll of working in a strained healthcare system and shot on location at Herlev Hospital in Denmark, this psychological drama is inspired by the real-life psychological syndrome ‘second victims’, which can affect healthcare staff after a traumatic event involving patient care. Exploring the weight of guilt and the power of compassion, Second Victims is a timely reflection on the challenges faced by healthcare professionals today.

SCA25 The Last Paradise on Earth

Direct from the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival, The Last Paradise on Earth is a poignant drama that beautifully captures the unique culture and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands, while exploring universal themes of identity, grief, and longing. Down-to-earth Kári (Sámal H. Hansen) cherishes the simple life in his small village on an isolated island with his sister Silja (Bjørg B. Egholm). Together they quietly mourn the loss of their mother, but while Kári finds solace in his job at the fish factory, Silja struggles to finish school, and their father returns to the sea on a fishing boat. The only source of income for the local community is the fish factory where Kári works, and when it faces the threat of closure, the fragile balance of their world begins to unravel. Although his friends dream of escape, seeking better lives beyond the island, Kári makes a different choice: to stay and confront the challenges of life on the island head-on. For him, his hometown is the last paradise on earth.

SCA25 Beginnings

Festival favourite Trine Dyrholm (also in Second Victims) delivers a standout performance alongside David Dencik (No Time to Die) in this life-affirming drama and deeply moving exploration of identity, love, and resilience. Marine biologist and professor Ane (Dyrholm) and her husband Thomas (Dencik) are on the verge of being divorced but have not yet told their two children. Thomas is dating someone and is aiming to move in with her soon, but when Ane is suddenly struck by a life-changing event, their plans are upended. Forced to face this new reality, they decide to continue living together while Ane recovers and postpone telling their daughters about their planned split. While Ane fights to regain her old self, they both confront challenges and in doing so, they find hope where they least expect it. The second feature film from director Jeanette Nordahl (Wildland), Beginnings is a tender and poignant story of the unraveling of a marriage, losing and re-discovering oneself, and how love can offer a beacon of hope in the darkest of moments.

SCA25 Quisling: The Final Days

Acclaimed director Erik Poppe (The King’s Choice) returns to wartime Norway with Quisling: The Final Days, a bold and fascinating historical drama about the country’s infamous – if not most controversial - autocratic leader. July 1945. Norway has been liberated following WWII, and the country’s head of state Vidkun Quisling (a towering Gard B. Eidsvold) is arrested and put on trial for high treason, accused of collaborating with the Nazis. While devoted wife Maria (Lisa Carlehed, The Emigrants) defiantly stands by her husband and does her utmost to save him, pastor Peder Olsen (Anders Danielsen Lie) begins a series of meetings that officials hope will extract a measure of contrition from the defiant politician. Powered by strong performances, Quisling: The Final Days is a stirring meditation on complicity, faith and the human capacity for self-deception. Delving into the circumstances and motivations of Quisling – a man whose name has become a byword for traitor – this eloquent, thought-provoking film presents him not only as a figure of great complexity, but also one with a disconcerting abundance of contemporary counterparts.

SCA25 Long Good Thursday

From director Mika Kaurismäki (The Grump: In Search of an Escort, The Girl King) this fourth installment in The Grump series, based on the novel by Tuomas Kyrö, is set during a lush Finnish summer and follows aging, laconic farmer The Grump (Heikki Kinnunen). One day, while out grocery shopping, The Grump’s attention is captured by an irresistibly attractive scent - a mixture of chainsaw oil, pine bark and sawdust. The scent belongs to the free spirit of artist Saimi (Jaana Saarinen), who upon meeting him, is intent on using him as a model for her photography. To his surprise, The Grump is drawn to Saimi and cannot help enjoying her company. The words, gaze and touch of another person awaken long-lost feelings and shake away the loneliness of the long-term widower. His sons are skeptical of the new friendship and do not trust Saimi’s intentions, wondering if she is after their inheritance. Family meetings, misunderstandings, swimming in the moonlight and sleepless nights ensue, in this heartfelt and entertaining comedy imbued with deadpan humour.

SCA25 100 Litres of Gold

A box office hit in Finland, this summery black comedy is a tribute to the countryside provinces and to the traditional Finnish brew sahti, the liquid gold of Finland. Enjoyed at Midsummer, Christmas, weddings, funerals and parties, the drink has a legendary reputation. In a small village in southern Finland, middle-aged sisters Taina (Pirjo Lonka) and Pirkko (Elina Knihtilä) have promised to spend weeks making 100 litres of their famous, strong self-brewed beer, sahti, for their sister’s wedding. But their batch is so tasty, they cannot help but drink it all themselves! Struggling with massive hangovers and with only two days until the wedding, they have a series of hilarious misadventures racing against the clock to procure another 100 litres and save the wedding, or else they will lose their reputation as the best sahti-brewers in the village. Written and directed by prolific Finnish director Teemu Nikki (Death is a Problem for the Living) 100 Litres of Gold is an entertaining adventure and tale of beer, community and local pride.

SCA25 Grand Finale

A box office hit in Iceland, pitch black comedy Grand Finale revolves around a chamber orchestra working out of a rundown theatre in Reykjavik on a shoe-string budget. Financial hardship places a great strain on the orchestra and the lead violinist, Sigríður. Their annual grant from the city is coming to an end, so the orchestra decides to hire a world-renowned cellist in order to secure their future. It works - the media goes wild, and money starts to flow again. Unfortunately, the cellist is not a very nice person, and it is too late to fire him ahead of the orchestra’s fundraising grand concert. But when fate steps in right before their performance, the orchestra is forced to make a macabre decision and put everything at risk. Written and directed by Trapped showrunner Sigurjon Kjartansson in his directorial debut, Grand Finale is a wildly entertaining comedy featuring an all-star Icelandic ensemble cast, including Hilmir Snaer Gudnason (Lamb, Wild Game), Helga Braga Jonsdottir (Katla), Ilmur Kristjansdottir (Trapped), and Halldor Gylfason (The Last Fishing Trip).

SCA25 Everything Must Go

In this uplifting drama from one of Norway’s most beloved filmmakers, Arild Østin Ommundsen (Mongoland), three estranged siblings must face the past when they reunite at their childhood home. When their somewhat famous composer father dies, siblings Carl Olav, Ellen and Amund are left with the responsibility of emptying his house and putting it up for sale. In this house, the family has one very valuable heirloom – a Steinway grand piano allegedly once owned by the famous Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. To complete their task, they decide to move back home while they go through their father’s belongings and remnants of their childhood. In the process, they are forced to face their memories, old conflicts and individual life choices, as well as deal with visiting relatives and their suddenly reappeared mother, who schemes to claim the prized Steinway piano. Featuring a score by internationally renowned Norwegian musician Thomas Dybdahl, Everything Must Go combines warm humour and earnest drama to deliver a universal story of growing up, family, forgiveness, inheritance and music.

SCA25 Jalla! Jalla!

Celebrating twenty-five years since release and directed by Josef Fares in his feature debut, Jalla! Jalla! stars Fares Fares as Roro, a Lebanese-Swedish parks officer, and Torkel Petersson as his best friend Måns. Roro is in love with his Swedish girlfriend Lisa (Tuva Novotny) but hesitates to introduce her to his traditional Lebanese family. When he finally decides to do so, he discovers that his family has arranged his marriage to Yasmin, a Lebanese woman facing deportation if she doesn't marry. Roro and Yasmin agree to pretend to go along with the marriage to appease their families, leading to comedic situations, meanwhile Måns grapples with his own relationship issues. The film explores themes of cultural identity, generational conflict, and the challenges of balancing personal desires with familial expectations. It received critical acclaim and was selected as Sweden's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Jalla! Jalla! remains a significant work in Swedish cinema, noted for its humorous yet poignant portrayal of multicultural life in Sweden.

SCA25 Live a Little

Best friends Laura (Embla Ingelman-Sundberg) and Alex (Aviva Wrede) are heading off on a rail adventure across Europe, couch surfing through the capitals, starting with Warsaw. Their dream for the summer is to live carefree and immerse themselves in new cultures whilst staying with local hosts. One morning, after a wild party, Laura wakes up next to a stranger, but she has no memory of the night before. A few days later her boyfriend Elias joins the trip and is upset when he hears the news. Unable to remember what really happened, throughout the trip flashbacks from that night keep arising and Laura begins to question if the forgotten night was non-consensual. The feature film debut of Fanny Ovesen, Live a Little is a vibrant, bold and intimate story about finding oneself that explores the grey zones of consent, navigating uncertainty, relationships and intimacy, and the difficulty in setting boundaries.

SCA25 My Father's Daughter

Elvira (captivating newcomer Sarah Olaussen Eira), is a confident Sámi teenager, who firmly believes that her mother Beate conceived her at a Danish fertility clinic and that she is half-Danish. Elvira often daydreams about her father, envisioning him as a charismatic movie star. However, when her real biological father unexpectedly steps into her life, her world is forever altered. Alongside school drama and the usual teenage ups and downs, she must now navigate this unexpected reality and come to terms with her true identity. Written and directed by Egil Pedersen in his directorial debut, My Father’s Daughter is a delightful drama with quirky dialogue about family, honesty, identity and community, featuring an unforgettable supporting role by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones, A Taste of Hunger) as himself. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Norway’s northernmost region which is characterised by its unique environment, and shot in the small Sámi coastal community Unjárga, this is a personal and charming coming-of-age story about home and finding oneself.

SCA25 My Uncle Jens

Akam (Peiman Azizpour, Furia, The Fortress), a young school teacher, lives a peaceful life in Oslo. One day, his estranged uncle from the Iranian part of Kurdistan unexpectedly arrives for a surprise visit. Despite limited space in his shared flat with his Norwegian friends, Akam feels obligated to invite his uncle to stay for a few days. However, his uncle quickly makes himself at home and shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. Torn between his sense of familial duty and growing tension in the flat, Akam begins to suspect there is more to his uncle’s visit than just a casual trip. Soon this awkward family reunion turns into a chaotic clash of expectations and personal boundaries, and results in a series of revelations and unexpected events that could have life-changing consequences for them both. Written and directed by Brwa Vahabpour in his feature film debut, My Uncle Jens is a charming drama with comedic moments that delivers an entertaining story about family ties and culture clashes.

SCA25 Never Alone

From celebrated director Klaus Härö (The Fencer, One Last Deal, My Sailor, My Love) comes a powerful true story of resilience and defiance, based on real events during World War II and adapted from Rony Smolar’s book, Uncle Stiller. Ville Virtanen (Bordertown) delivers a standout performance as businessman Abraham Stiller, a pillar of Helsinki's Jewish community who did everything in his power to help the Jewish refugees. Helsinki, 1942. The state of Finland has made an alliance with Nazi Germany. Only one man is trying to stop the Finnish security services which were operating in secrecy, turning over Jewish refugees into the hands of Gestapo. As Nazi influence grows, Stiller finds himself torn between his personal life and his politics, and must risk everything to protect his community. A moving drama that shines a light on the plight of Jewish refugees in Finland during WWII, Never Alone showcases the inspiring humanitarian efforts of a man who risked everything to protect them, in a gripping story of courage, and the fight for hope amidst overwhelming adversity.

SCA25 Odd Fish

Directed and co-written by Snævar Sölvason (From Iceland to Eden), Odd Fish is a heartwarming tale of dreams, identity and acceptance, set in a small community in the picturesque Westfjords of Iceland. During the summer, childhood friends Hjalti (Björn Jörundur, Trapped) and Björn (newcomer Arna Magnea Danks), run a seafood restaurant in the fishing village in which they were born and raised. Despite their vastly different personalities, the two have a successful business partnership, and their restaurant is popular. They have long dreamed of keeping the restaurant open all year round, and when an unexpected opportunity arises, they finally get the chance to do so. But, when Björn suddenly reveals a long-held secret to Hjalti, their long-standing friendship is tested and prejudices come to light. Faced with changes that reveal new perspectives on life and identity, the two of them must each re-evaluate what matters most. An endearing story imbued with warm humour, Odd Fish is a tender reflection on the power of friendship.

SCA25 Sudden Outbursts of Emotions

Love is messy in this Finnish dramedy about the complexities of modern love and mid-life crises from director Paula Korva in her feature film debut. Jane (Iina Kuustonen) is a travel agent who sells people their dream adventures, but in her own life, she is happily settled down in Helsinki with her actor partner, Mikki (Riku Nieminen). Jane believes their relationship is strong, so she is shocked when Mikki proposes they open their relationship to spice up their love life. Initially resistant to the idea, to save their love Jane agrees to attend a sex-positive party called the Isle of Lust. But what begins as an experiment soon takes a surprising turn when one of them unexpectedly falls for a new person who enters the picture. Although everything seems fine to start, emotional chaos is soon unleashed, forcing Jane to rethink her relationship and her life. A timely, witty, and heartfelt story, Sudden Outbursts of Emotions explores the diversity of love and the difficult yet liberating journey of finding one’s own path.

SCA25 The Mountain

In this emotional drama, the cosmos and a road trip to the Icelandic highlands offers comfort to a family whose life is upended by a twist of fate. Electrician Atli (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Trapped, Wild Game), his wife María (Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir, Trapped), an astronomer, and their nineteen-year-old daughter, musician Anna (Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, daughter of Björk), live together in Iceland. María plans a trip for the family to go into the highlands to photograph a comet she thinks she has discovered. But when the day of the trip arrives, Atli and Anna have made other plans and cannot go with her. It is a fateful change that upends their lives and leads them on a new trajectory. Written and directed by Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir, The Mountain is the first officially vetted sustainable production in Iceland and has been awarded the prestigious Green Film Sustainability certification. Shot on location in the Icelandic highlands and in Hafnarfjörður, a town just outside Reykjavík, The Mountain is a powerful and visually stunning drama about love, family, loss and the universe.

SCA25 The Quiet Ones

Based on the incredible true story of Denmark’s biggest-ever robbery, this engrossing crime thriller features a stellar ensemble cast including Gustav Giese (Riders of Justice), Reda Kateb (Zero Dark Thirty), Christopher Wagelin (Shame on Dry Land) and Amanda Collin (Fathers and Mothers, House of the Dragon). As the financial crisis hits Europe in 2008, a group from Denmark and across Europe plan to commit the biggest heist of all time on Danish soil. Kasper (Giese), a boxer with few chances left in life, is offered the opportunity to plan the robbery by its foreign initiators. At the risk of losing his family and everything that matters, he leads a team of ambitious and uncompromising criminals who share the dream to achieve the impossible, despite major obstacles. From director Frederik Louis Hviid, The Quiet Ones is a suspenseful action drama that will have you on the edge of your seat as it follows the long, detailed and risky preparations required to pull off the most spectacular heist in Danish history.

SCA25 Way Home

From acclaimed director Charlotte Sieling (Margrete: Queen of the North, The Killing, The Bridge) Way Home is a gripping drama about powerlessness, forgiveness and the love for our children. How far are you willing to go to save the people you love? This is the question that Christian (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fathers & Mothers, The Killing) is forced to answer when he is smuggled into Syria in a desperate search for his son Adam who has gone to the country to join the fighting. It is a dangerous mission and soul-searching journey into a war-torn country. Gradually, Christian comes to realise that he must be willing to sacrifice everything he believes in to be reunited with his son. But can he convince him to come home to Denmark, or is it too late? Co-written by award-winning journalist Nagieb Khaja and Jesper Fink, inspired by Khaja’s many documentaries from trips to Syria in 2014, this action-packed dramatic thriller is a tense, compelling father-son tale of parenthood and fundamentalism.

SCA25 When the Light Breaks (Encore)

Winner of Best Nordic Film at the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival, from acclaimed Icelandic auteur Rúnar Rúnarsson, When the Light Breaks is a poignant drama that follows a young woman whose conscience and resilience is tested over the course of a long summer’s day when she is confronted by life-changing events. Sunset to sunset: 24 hours is enough to turn the life of twenty-something arts student Una (a remarkable Elín Hall) upside down. And not just hers. Reykjavík has awakened to news of a terrible road accident, with Una’s boyfriend and fellow classmate Diddi likely among the injured. But because of a secret she has been keeping from her friends, Una finds herself unable to express her true feelings and she must navigate through her swirling emotions, in her own way. Luminously shot on 16mm film by award-winning cinematographer Sophia Olsson (The Crown) and featuring music from the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, this personal and moving film finds notes of fleeting beauty as it explores the ripple effect of grief. ENCORE SCREENING!