First winners of Freya Nordic Film and Television Awards announced

The Nordic Film and Television Awards Freya Awards announced the first list of honorees and winners.The English name of this award is The Freyas, also known as the Nordic Film and Television Awards. The first event will be held on September 22 in Helsinki, Finland.The organizers first announced eight names this time. Filmmakers and actors from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are all on the list.

The positioning of the first event is very clear, focusing on the creation and career development of Nordic film and television workers in the regional and international markets.Kirpi Uimmonen, co-founder of the organizer, said that the Nordic countries are relatively small markets when viewed individually, but put together, they have formed an audio-visual culture with global influence.The awards hope to honor creators who bring Nordic stories to a wider audience.

The list announced this time includes Swedish director Lars Hallström, Swedish actor Lena Olin, Danish actor Terin Tiholm, Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Swedish-Lebanese actor Faris Faris, as well as Icelandic actor Ebba Katrin Finsdottir, Finnish actor Laura Bean and Norwegian actor Teja Sophie Loch Ness.The winners span movies and TV series, giving this first list a different look from different countries and generations.

Hallström will receive special recognition from the organizers.The official introduction mentioned that he is one of the early directors to establish his career in both Northern Europe and North America.In 1985, he received two Oscar nominations for one of his films and continued to work in international film production.The award organizers placed this tribute in the context of Nordic creators going global, and also pointed out the representativeness of his career path.

Lena Olin is also on the list of commendations.She early acted in Ingmar Bergman's films, and later entered European and American film and television production. She has a long-term accumulation in film and television projects in Europe and the United States.The organizers summarized her experience as "the international malleability of Nordic actors", which was also the part that was emphasized when the Freya Award announced her name.

Danish actor Terin Tiholm won the award for Outstanding Nordic Actor in a Drama Series.The winning role listed in the report was in an Icelandic, Danish and French co-production, in which she played Dieter Jensen.She has previously won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival for her film performances, and her works in recent years have continued to cover movies and TV series.The award placed her in the drama series acting category, echoing her years of experience working on both ends of the screen.

Olafur Darri Ólafsson also won the award for Outstanding Nordic Actor in a Drama Series.His award-winning project is an Icelandic-Finnish co-production in which, in addition to starring, he also executive-produced through his own company.The organizers specifically mentioned that he is already one of the most internationally recognized actors in Iceland and has participated in many English film and television productions in recent years.

Faris Faris won the award for Outstanding Nordic Actor in a Motion Picture, directed by Alex Schulman.He first came to attention in Swedish films, and later moved into Hollywood films and international series.The list of awards does not only focus on senior practitioners, several relatively young actors are also scheduled to be announced in the same round.

Icelandic actress Ebba Katrin Finsdóttir is one of them.She won the Icelandic Grimm Award for Actress of the Year in 2020 and has continued to appear in dramas in recent years.Finnish actor Laura Bean was recognized for her role as Demerzel in the Apple series Foundation, a role that ran through the show's first three seasons.She also recently co-starred in a new film with Javier Bardem, which had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Norwegian actor Teja Sophie Loch Ness is also on the list.She first built an audience with local film series, later gained international attention in streaming series, and in recent years has continued to work between Norwegian and multinational productions.The eight winners of the first Freya Prize will be announced first, and the full ceremony will be held in Helsinki on September 22.