Norway Submits Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value for Oscar for Best International Feature Film

Norway has submitted Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi) as its contender for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards (2026).

The selection bested a shortlist including Dreams and Facing War.

Sentimental Value is a emotional comedy drama film following two sisters – Nora (Renate Reinsve), a stage actress, and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), whose emotionally fraught relationship is disrupted by the return of their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a once-celebrated director attempting a comeback through a film he invites Nora to star in. When she refuses, he casts a Hollywood starlet Rachel played by Elle Fanning.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival‘s main competition where it received a historic 19-minute standing ovation. It went on to win the Grand Prix at Cannes, marking the first time a Norwegian feature had secured this honor. Beyond Cannes, Sentimental Value also screened at Sarajevo Film Festival, Brussels International Film Festival, where it received a Jury Prize, and Filmfest München, where it earned the Audience Award for Best International Feature. Neon will release the film in theaters in the US on November 7th.

Here is the synopsis: Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father – and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics.

In a statement, the Norwegian Oscar Committee said, “We have chosen a film that not only impressed us, but also profoundly moved us. What we are seeing is a director with the playful confidence to borrow from the great artists of film history, while always maintaining and developing his own voice, – and using it to explore the many nuances of human relationships, here in particular a complex father–daughter relationship. This is a film exquisitely well crafted in every aspect – but which above all makes an impression because it touches us deeply. It has been a privilege to witness this evolving and maturing body of work over the last two decades, with a clear artistic signature throughout – and today Joachim Trier stands out as a filmmaker who is confident, assured, and fully at the height of his storytelling talent.”

See the official trailer for Sentimental Value