This year's big pre-Christmas film closes the festival
SHINING BRIGHTLY will be the closing film of this year’s Oslo Pix Film Festival.
The film is based on the internationally acclaimed book of the same name by Ingvild H. Risøy and directed by Ida Sagmo Tvedte. It will have its Norwegian premiere on Saturday, 30.08 at Klingenberg Cinema, and is part of the festival’s Nordic fiction competition program.
SHINING BRIGHTLY is a warm and heartfelt Christmas tale about a father who tries his best, but falls short, an older sister doing her best to fill his shoes, and a little sister who never stops dreaming. It’s a film about friendship, kind neighbors, and the magic of Christmas.
Oslo Pix Film Festival’s Head of Programming, Johanne Svendsen Rognlien, says about the film:
SHINING BRIGHTLY is a Christmas film, but it’s also so much more. It’s brimming with love for Tøyen and for Oslo, and for everyone who sees themselves in Ronja and Melissa. The film carries an important message – that each of us has a responsibility to speak up about what happens behind closed doors – and it manages to convey this in a way that resonates across all ages.
The film’s director, Ida Sagmo Tvedte, says about closing the festival:
Closing Oslo Pix is an incredible honor! For me, SHINING BRIGHTLY is a film about love and dreams. About being a child or a teenager, and growing up with a parent who’s struggling in life. It was filmed in Tøyen, so I’m really excited to share it with the Oslo audience – and with the rest of the country a bit later this autumn!
About the film:
Ten-year-old Ronja lives in an apartment block but dreams of a log cabin in the woods, where wolves howl under a starry sky. It’s December, and Dad is unemployed again – until one day he lands a job selling Christmas trees. At last, the apartment smells like pine needles and the fridge is full, if only for a while. But sometimes the temptations become too much for Dad, and Ronja and her big sister Melissa are left to fend for themselves. Together, they take over the Christmas tree stand and learn that even when life feels really tough, a quick mind, playful optimism, and a handful of good helpers can get you far.
