The #Movies on War# film festival returns to Elverum, Norway, from 13 to 17 November for its 14th annual edition. Over five days, the festival will feature 34 films exploring themes of #conflict, #identity, and #resilience, alongside a packed schedule of events, including screenings, discussions, and a dedicated youth program.
A highlight of this year’s festival is the focus on #Gaza and the broader #Middle East#. Among the films featured are From Ground Zero, Palestine’s Oscar submission, an anthology from 22 Gaza-based filmmakers capturing life following 7 October, and From the Shadow of Beirut by Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane, offering perspectives on Lebanese realities. Diaries from Lebanon by Myriam El Hajj rounds out this regional focus, with additional screenings highlighting conflicts in the U.S., Sudan, South Africa, and beyond.
The festival will showcase several Norwegian premieres, including Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 by Göran Hugo Olsson, Songs of Slow Burning Earth by Ukrainian filmmaker Olha Zhurba, and Of Caravan and the Dogs by Askold Kurov.
This year, Movies on War has expanded its Nordic competition to include Baltic countries, inviting short films from the region to compete for prizes totaling NOK 20,000. Additionally, a pitch competition offers one winning project the prestigious Sparebank1 Østlandet award of NOK 100,000.
With lectures, debates, a «Books on War» sidebar program, and exhibitions, the festival provides a comprehensive look at the global and historical landscape of conflict through cinema.
