Norwegian drama and documentary series were celebrated with a total of six awards at this year’s prestigious Canneseries festival. The series A Better Man, Nepobaby, and The Agent, The Life And Lies Of My Father all received recognition.
Four Norwegian series were selected for the official competition at Canneseries (April 24–29), marking the first time so many Norwegian productions were in competition at the influential festival.
The biggest winner was A Better Man (Ølhunden Berit), created by Thomas Seeberg Torjussen. The series won three awards: Best Series, Best Actor, and the High School Award. Actor Anders Baasmo received acclaim for his performance in the lead role. The series is produced for NRK by Synnøve Hørsdal and Christian Fredrik Martin at Maipo Film, together with Lithuania’s Artbox. A Better Man has received NOK 4,500,000 in production support from the Norwegian Film Institute.
The story follows Tom, a misogynistic internet troll who is exposed and tries to escape consequences by disguising himself as a woman. The show explores his difficult journey toward reconciliation, addressing themes of gender, identity, and accountability.
TV 2’s Nepobaby, written by Henriette Steenstrup (Pørni) and Siri Seljeseth in collaboration with Tina Rygh, also received strong jury recognition. It won Best Screenplay, and the entire ensemble was honored with a Special Interpretation Award.
Nepobaby follows a young woman, played by Vivild Falk Berg, whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she is the heiress to one of Norway’s oldest and wealthiest shipping dynasties. The show is produced by Bård Ljones Fjulsrud and Ida Håndlykken Kvernstrøm at Eldorado Content Club for TV 2. Nepobaby has received NOK 4,000,000 in production support from the Norwegian Film Institute.
The third Norwegian winner was the NRK documentary series The Agent, The Life And Lies Of My Father, created by Magnus Skatvold. It won the award for Best Documentary. The series follows Didrik, who as a child was told by his father that he was a secret agent. Now, as an adult, Didrik pieces together a life filled with deception and confronts his father with the truth.
Canneseries, or Festival International des Séries de Cannes, is an international TV festival that showcases and honors series from around the globe.
See the full list of awards here: https://canneseries.com/en/awards
Manager International Relations, Short Films and Drama Series
