The student juries have selected this year’s winner!
In November, once again, students from lower and upper secondary schools contributed to the school programme for the 2026 festival.
Student involvement has been a cornerstone of Kosmorama’s school programme for many years, and we consider it both valuable and essential to give young people a genuine voice. When youth are given the opportunity to influence which films become part of the school programme, we ensure that the selection reflects their perspectives, interests, and needs. At the same time, the jury work helps strengthen young people’s sense of ownership of film culture and provides them with valuable insight into film and cultural dissemination.
This year, we would like to extend our gratitude to the student juries from Rosenborg Lower Secondary School and Byåsen Upper Secondary School for their engagement and contribution as jury members.
This year’s winner and the juries’ statement
The student juries gathered at Cinemateket, where they watched six diverse films in excellent screening rooms with first-class sound and a large screen. We know how much it means for young people to experience film the way it is meant to be seen. In this way, the juries are given a solid foundation for evaluating the films, as well as an experience that sparks curiosity, engagement, and reflection. After each screening, the students met to discuss the films and ultimately vote for their favorites. The juries’ evaluations form the basis for this year’s DKS program, which will be shown to children and young people during the festival.
This year, both juries highlighted the same film as their favorite, and the winner is Portrait of a Confused Father by Gunnar Hall Jensen. Through the documentary, we follow director-dad Gunnar and his son, from infancy until a brutal and tragic event changes everything. The powerful story shows how life can suddenly take an unforgiving turn. You can read the students’ own explanations for why this film became their favorite here:
“We really liked the structure of the film and the story of a father trying to strengthen his relationship with his son. This film pulls you into a father’s perspective on his son’s life. Personal and intimate home videos provide insight into the relationship between father and son, grief, and love. A life-changing film.”- Student Jury from Byåsen Upper Secondary School
“We thought the film was very realistic, and at the same time unlike any other film we’ve seen. The relationship between father and son was very nice to watch. The film is vulnerable, funny, surprising, and engaging, and we got a beautiful insight into their lives. Even though the film dealt with difficult themes, we thought it was the most beautiful and touching film." - Student Jury from Rosenborg Lower Secondary School
Portrait of a Confused Father (Portrett av en forvirret far)
The winning film, Portrait of a Confused Father will be shown as part of the documentary program series at Kosmorama 2026. Filmmaker Gunnar Halle Jensen will also be present at the festival for conversations about the film.
Many years of experience with student juries
Kosmorama has carried out the student jury scheme for many years, and it has evolved into an essential part of the festival’s work with student participation. This initiative has been made possible thanks to support from the Norwegian Film Institute.
The juries not only help select the films, they also provide valuable input that influences how we shape the final school program. This year’s winner, Portrait of a Confused Father, is a good example of a film we were unsure would resonate with the target audience, but which turned out to spark engagement and important societal discussions among the juries. We greatly appreciate the students’ efforts, and we aim to continue and further develop the jury work in the years to come.
“It is incredibly rewarding to work with engaged young people in this way, and wonderful to see how the students take ownership of the jury role. They discuss, argue, and challenge each other in a way that shows genuine love for film and curiosity. The jury process is one of the most meaningful parts of planning the school film program.”- Mariell Paulsen, DKS coordinator at Kosmorama.
Student participation is not just about giving young people the opportunity to express their opinions. It is also about acknowledging that their experiences, perspectives, and reflections are essential when we develop a program intended for them. Inviting students into the evaluation process means taking them seriously as cultural participants. In addition, we give them valuable experience in critical thinking, discussion, and film-related reflection, while we gain important insight into what works for the target group. The student jury work is therefore both an educational project and a quality enhancement of the entire school program.
Students in conversation with Head of Film Mads during the jury work.
What is DKS?
DKS stands for Den kulturelle skolesekken (The Cultural Schoolbag), and is a national initiative aimed at bringing professional art of all kinds to students in primary and secondary schools. Kosmorama collaborates with Den kulturelle skolesekken at both the municipal level (primary schools) and regional level (secondary schools) to screen films in cinemas during week 10, in addition to other smaller events throughout the year. During Kosmorama 2025, films were shown through Den kulturelle skolesekken to over 11,000 students, making this an important focus area for the festival.
