Honorary Award 2026 for Anne Lajla Utsi, Director of the International Sámi Filminstitute
Anne Lajla Utsi, Photocredit: International Sámi Film Institute
Lübeck, May 7, 2026. The 68th Nordic Film Days Lübeck will honour Sámi film executive and director of the International Sámi Film Institute, Anne Lajla Utsi, for her lifetime achievement. During the opening ceremony on November 4 at the CineStar Filmpalast Lübeck, she will be awarded the festival’s Honorary Award for her role in Sámi filmmaking and as an international ambassador for indigenous cinema. Sámi (Norway) actor and director Nils Gaup, who received an Oscar nomination for his internationally acclaimed film “Pathfinder”, will give the laudatory speech.
“Anne Lajla Utsi embodies the values and vision of the Nordic Film Days like no other. She is the driving force giving Sámi cinema a strong, independent voice on the world stage. Her commitment is invaluable to cultural diversity onscreen. With her political and curatorial work, she creates visibility and empowers new voices. Her focus on authentic storytelling is setting the tone for the future of Nordic cinema,” says Hanna Reifgerst, Artistic Director of the Nordic Film Days Lübeck.
Anne Lajla Utsi was born in northern Norway and grew up in Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino, the heart of Sápmi. She initially worked in cultural and media funding and was involved early on in establishing structures for film and media production in Sápmi. In 2009, she took over as director of the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI) in Kautokeino, where she played a key role in making it a central support institution for indigenous filmmakers. Under her leadership, international initiatives such as the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund were launched, strengthening the financing and networking of indigenous film production worldwide. She has made a decisive contribution to ensuring that films and talent are represented at international festivals and receive global attention.
In addition to the honorary award, the Nordic Film Days will present an Homage of films personally curated by Utsi that reflect her artistic and cultural policy vision. The films exemplify her commitment to empowering Sámi filmmakers to tell their stories from their own perspective. At the same time, they highlight the central concerns of her work: cultural self-determination, narrative sovereignty, and the establishment of sustainable structures in the film industry.
Press contact:
Hansestadt Lübeck - Nordic Film Days Lübeck
presse@nordische-filmtage.de
+49 (0)451 122 1331
