KOSMORAMA IS BACK

Trondheim’s international film festival is a delicious treat for cinema lovers.

March is a wonderful time in Trondheim because that’s when Kosmorama International Film Festival brings us feature films and documentaries from all around the world. Each year, the festival’s programme is shrouded in exciting mystery until 3 weeks before it starts, but we tried to get some hints about what we could expect for Kosmorama 2023.

“This year we see there are a lot of films about performing,” says Silje Engeness, director of the festival. “It’s fascinating, why do we like watching actors acting about acting so much?” Many of the films dive into questions of what theatre, performance, and dancing mean. Silje says another definable trend is explorations of themes of injustice and the fragility of democracy, just as we are experiencing in the world right now.

However, with more than 80 movies being featured at the festival, they’re bound to be as different as they are many. All of the films have been handpicked and arduously researched by Silje’s team. “We’ve watched 300-400 films in order to narrow it down to these 80 amazing films. It’s a dream job, but still hard work!” says Silje. “We’ve got a great blend in our team, people aged 23 to 50, so we’ve managed to create a great diverse programme together.”

THE MAGIC IS IN THE INTERMISSION

BE A VOLUNTEER!

The best way to get a free ticket to Kosmorama (and the most fun one) is to become a volunteer. Every year, around 100 people help out with greeting the audience, suggesting movies to them, and showing around the festival’s invited directors and actors. It’s also a great way for internationals new to the city to make friends in Trondheim.

Kosmorama’s main programme is at Prinsen Kino, which is transformed by the festival every year. One transformation is a pop-up café in the foyer. “Going to a film festival is so much more than just watching movies, it’s about taking a part in a social event and feeling part of the film community,” says Silje and that creating spaces like the café is a key part of that.

Walking around Kosmorama you can hear a buzz of conversations, often between people who just met. You’ll also notice a distinguishable international vibe, which isn’t surprising because many of the films feature English subtitles — probably more than you could watch during the festival. “Actually, I wouldn’t be so sure. I think one Kosmorama attendee saw 40 in one week!” says Silje.

The festival will offer all sorts of experiences alongside its regular movie screenings, such as Q&A with directors, post-film discussion panels, and events at bars to provide even more socialising opportunities. But is there anything else Silje would like to add about the festival?

“Oh, somebody stole all our flags from the Elgeseter bridge last year. We’d love to have them back!” Silje says and laughs.

So make sure to put Kosmorama in your calendar for March 6th to 12th… and bring any flags you might have ‘misplaced’ last year.